By Abdullahi Lukman
Hundreds of thousands of people across the Middle East and beyond are facing deepening humanitarian crises, as food insecurity rises, migrants are rescued from abusive detention sites, and refugee responses are strained by funding shortfalls, according to recent UN reports and agencies.
In Lebanon, around 874,000 people are experiencing crisis or emergency levels of acute food insecurity between November 2025 and March 2026, according to the latest UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report.
The most affected areas include parts of Baalbek and El Hermel, Akkar, Baabda, Zahle, Saida, Tyre, and several southern districts, as well as refugee communities.
The assessment, which for the first time includes people who arrived from Syria after December 2024, warns that conditions are expected to deteriorate further. By April to July 2026, the number of food-insecure people is projected to rise to 961,000, nearly 18 per cent of the population, driven by reduced assistance, economic pressures, and rising living costs.
The World Food Programme said sustained and predictable aid will be critical to prevent further decline.
Meanwhile, in eastern Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has deployed emergency teams to assist migrants freed from illegal detention sites. Libyan authorities recently shut down an unlawful facility in Ajdabiya, releasing 195 migrants and recovering 21 bodies from a nearby burial site. Investigations indicate the victims were tortured to extort ransom payments.
In a separate operation in Kufra, security forces uncovered an underground detention site, freeing 221 migrants and refugees, including women, children, and a one-month-old infant.
Several survivors required urgent medical treatment after prolonged detention in inhumane conditions. IOM said it is providing medical care and basic assistance while urging stronger action against trafficking networks.
At the global level, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, reported that it continued to respond to mounting emergencies in 2025 despite severe funding shortages.
According to its 2025 Impact Report, the agency supported people displaced by renewed violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Ukraine, Colombia, and Afghanistan, among others.
UNHCR warned that humanitarian needs are likely to increase further in 2026, with ongoing conflicts and instability driving displacement affecting nearly 52 million people, even as resources remain under strain.