UNDP Reports $1.38 Billion in Building Damage in South Lebanon

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with Lebanon's National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS-L), announced the results of a rapid damage assessment focused on buildings across southern Lebanon. This assessment covers areas south of the Litani River, including the districts of Bint Jbeil, Marjeyoun, Nabatieh, Tyre, and Sidon, complementing an earlier evaluation conducted for Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

The findings estimate the total direct damage to buildings in southern Lebanon at approximately $1.38 billion, accompanied by an estimated debris volume of about 3.1 million cubic meters. Complete destruction was recorded in 11,095 buildings, impacting 17,891 housing units. Additionally, 2,242 buildings suffered partial damage, affecting 5,219 housing units, while 9,311 buildings incurred minor damage, involving 18,282 housing units.

Within Bint Jbeil district, the most severely affected areas in terms of fully destroyed buildings are Ainatha with 1,658 buildings and Bint Jbeil with 1,076 buildings. In Marjeyoun district, Meiss al-Jabal experienced destruction of 969 buildings and Taybeh 824 buildings. In Tyre district, Borj al-Shimali recorded 370 destroyed buildings, followed by Naqoura with 216 buildings.

The assessment employed a methodology based on Geographic Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI), supported by desktop visual verification without conducting field inspections. High-resolution satellite images dated April 29, 2026, were compared with reference images from October 23, 2025. This comparison enabled the identification of visible conflict-related damages, including roof collapses, structural deformations, and debris accumulation within building footprints. Debris volume and damage costs were calculated using building footprints, floor counts, and standardized replacement costs, consistent with UNDP methodologies and previous assessments.

While the assessment provides a comprehensive and reliable overview of damage magnitude, it excludes basements or underground structures and does not cover damage to critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, electricity, water, and communication networks. The reported figures reflect the situation as of April 29, 2026, and do not account for ongoing recovery or reconstruction efforts.

The evaluation was conducted using ultra-high-resolution satellite imagery from April 29, 2026, compared against reference imagery from October 23, 2025, utilizing a GeoAI model specifically trained for this purpose. Subsequently, UNDP teams performed systematic visual verification at the individual building level. This process confirmed the methodology's accuracy, achieving an overall precision rate of approximately 85 percent, thus ensuring a high degree of confidence in the final results.