Fragile ceasefire in Lebanon fails to stop killing and displacement of women, girls

Remarks by Moez Doraid, UN Women Regional Director for Arab States – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva

[As delivered.]

Beirut/Geneva – Standing in Lebanon, I have seen firsthand how women and girls are being killed and displaced even as a fragile ceasefire holds, a pattern that violates the most basic civilian protections under international law.

Although a ceasefire took effect on 17 April, reports show that 25 women have been killed and 109 injured over the past three weeks[1], underscoring the persistent risks facing women and girls attempting to return to their homes under the supposed safety of the truce.

Many women I spoke with this week said their homes in villages south of the Litani River lie in ruins. One displaced resident told me her village was virtually unrecognizable after the devastation.

Ongoing Israeli airstrikes, evacuation orders, prohibitions on returning to certain areas and movement restrictions mean most people remain unable to go home, leaving more than an estimated half a million women and girls displaced.

After listening to scores of displaced people, I’m struck by a loss of hope that feels different from Lebanon’s past conflicts: this war has destroyed not only homes but also the lands and livelihoods that anchored communities in southern Lebanon.

Yet alongside that erosion of hope, I have seen a strong resolve among the displaced to return and rebuild. Humanity — and the international community — must stand with these women and girls, as well as men and boys, to restore hope.

Access to food is shrinking. One woman told a colleague she had been forced to forage for wild herbs to feed her family. Using the latest IPC projections, UN Women estimates that around an additional 144,000 women and girls are likely to face crisis-level hunger or worse in the coming months, pushing the total to roughly 639,000[2].

In the face of these dire conditions, I have also observed remarkable resilience among women and women’s organizations delivering humanitarian aid, supporting livelihoods and strengthening social cohesion across Lebanon.

Since 2 March, UN Women has provided direct support to more than 15,000 women and girls, reaching over 70,000 people across their communities.

We are backing 534 women leaders who are helping communities navigate the crisis: connecting people with assistance, identifying urgent needs, easing tensions and ensuring women’s voices shape local response and recovery efforts.

The ceasefire must be fully upheld and transformed into a comprehensive peace that accords with international humanitarian and other relevant law, and honors women, peace and security commitments by guaranteeing women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in peacebuilding and recovery.

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