Sixteen-day-old Shiman was born inside a roadside tent to her mother, Haifa Kenjo, who had fled the southern suburbs of the capital as bombardments intensified. The family escaped with no belongings, leaving behind their home and savings amid the destruction.

Now living under a tarp secured with rocks near central Beirut, the family faces harsh conditions marked by damp bedding, insects and limited access to food and medical care. Kenjo said she had intended to give birth in a hospital but was unable to afford the costs after their home and their savings were destroyed in an airstrike.

According to the United Nations Population Fund, around 13,500 pregnant women are among those displaced in Lebanon, with more than 1,500 expected to give birth in the coming month, many without adequate maternal care.

When Kenjo went into labor on March 28, the family initially sought hospital treatment but could not raise the approximately $500 required for delivery. She returned to the tent, where a midwife assisted the birth under unsanitary conditions, using bottled water amid rain and mud.

The infant is showing signs of distress, including coughing and weakness, while access to infant formula remains limited. Kenjo said she has been unable to breastfeed, and the cost of formula exceeds her husband’s daily earnings.

Humanitarian volunteers have provided small quantities of aid, but supplies remain insufficient, reflecting broader shortages in displacement camps across the city.

The conflict, which has triggered mass displacement and strained Lebanon’s already fragile infrastructure, continues to disrupt access to essential services, leaving vulnerable populations including newborns and pregnant women at heightened risk.