The UN's humanitarian agency reports that women and girls in southern Lebanon face increased risks of gender-based violence and disrupted access to essential health services due to ongoing Israeli military operations. Vulnerable groups, including female-headed households and pregnant women, are particularly affected.
The ongoing conflict in southern Lebanon is exacerbating humanitarian concerns, particularly for women and girls, by increasing risks of violence and severely limiting access to critical healthcare services, including maternal and newborn care.
Women and girls in southern Lebanon are facing heightened risks of gender-based violence and disrupted access to essential health services due to ongoing Israeli military operations, according to the UN's humanitarian agency.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that female-headed households, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, older individuals, and people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable.
The United Nations Population Fund estimates that there are 390,000 women of reproductive age within displaced and returnee populations in the region. This figure includes approximately 16,000 pregnant women, with an estimated 1,800 women expected to give birth each month.
OCHA further noted that military activity in the South and Nabatieh governorates continues to endanger civilians, diminishing the confidence of displaced families considering a return to their homes. The conflict has severely impacted healthcare infrastructure, with three hospitals and 36 primary healthcare centers remaining closed. Additionally, at least 17 hospitals have sustained damage, severely limiting access to crucial maternal and newborn health services in affected areas.