UN: 4.1 Million People Now Refugees in Four Middle Eastern Countries

March 13, 2026 | 05:35 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - More than 4.1 million people have become internally displaced people (IDPs) in Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon, and Pakistan since the beginning of the recent escalation in the Middle East, according to a United Nations spokesperson on Thursday.

In addition, approximately 117,000 people have sought refuge in other countries, said the principal spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, in the daily press briefing as reported by Anadolu, citing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Dujarric stated that, according to UN humanitarian workers, the Middle East region has become home to one of the largest groups of people in the world in need of humanitarian assistance.

"The recent escalation risks deepening civilian suffering and causing further damage to already fragile civilian infrastructure," Dujarric said.

The UN and its humanitarian partners continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the affected populations in multiple countries and remain prepared to scale up the response to support national authorities if needed, he added.

Worsening Situation in Lebanon

In Lebanon, Dujarric stated that "the situation remains extremely unstable" and "humanitarian needs are increasing by the day." This is due to air strikes and Israeli ground invasion that have occurred over 10,000 times since the ceasefire with Hezbollah on November 27, 2024.

He indicated that government figures estimate "more than 816,000 human beings have registered themselves as displaced," a figure that includes "about 285,000 children," with "over 125,000 people taking shelter in nearly 600 collective centers."

He warned that "the overall number of people actually being displaced in Lebanon is likely higher."

Increasing vigilance on the safety of UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, Dujarric stated that "an explosion occurred Wednesday approximately 15 meters (48 feet) from a UN position in Sector East," although there were no reports of injuries.

He emphasized the obligation of all parties to ensure "the safety and security of UN personnel" and that "civilians across the blue line and UN premises should never be targeted."

On March 2, the Lebanese resistance group, Hezbollah, began attacking Israeli military sites in response to Israel's repeated attacks on Lebanon and the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader at that time, Ali Khamenei, in a joint U.S.-Israeli attack.

Israel retaliated by launching a military campaign against Lebanon, conducting air strikes in the southern outskirts of Beirut and areas in the south and east. On March 3, Israel initiated an invasion of southern Lebanon.

Read: US Vetoes Russia's UNSC Resolution Calling for Iran Ceasefire

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