Bombings in Lebanon have killed at least 700 people, injured thousands and forced nearly 120,000 to flee their homes. Lebanon crisis: UN warns of further deterioration Peace and security
A sharp escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah is raising fears that the situation will only get worse, UN aid workers said on Friday.
“We are witnessing the most dangerous period in Lebanon in a generation, and many fear this is only the beginning,” said Imran Riza, the country’s humanitarian coordinator. Speaking from Beirut, Riza said that for almost a year now, Lebanese people, particularly in the south, have been “living in fear” because of the war in Gaza.
Thousands continue to flee areas previously untouched by Israeli attacks on Hezbollah infrastructure. The bombings have killed at least 700 people, wounded thousands and displaced some 120,000.
Skirmishes across the UN-patrolled Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel have erupted since October 7, when war broke out in the Gaza Strip following Hamas attacks on Israel. Last week, bombings of Hezbollah communications equipment signaled an escalation of Israeli bombing in Lebanon and retaliatory strikes by the group.
Relative Safety
Tens of thousands of people are fleeing Lebanon for Syria in search of “relative safety,” the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said. “People are currently safe where they cross the border into Syria,” said Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, UNHCR’s representative in Syria.
Vargas Llosa described “large numbers of people” returning to Syria: Syrians who fled their country’s civil war in Lebanon. Of the more than 30,000 people at the border, about 75 to 80 percent are estimated to be Syrians, a UNHCR spokesman said.
“We have seen quite a few wounded; people who were wounded not only during the very difficult journey here, but also directly as a result of the bombing in Lebanon,” he said. Vargas Llosa mentioned a woman who was crossing from Lebanon with two dead children to bury them in Syria.
Humanitarian Efforts
In Lebanon, UN agencies are coordinating assistance and humanitarian assessments with the Lebanese government and other partners. Thus, almost 500 shelters have been opened for about 80 thousand displaced persons. In particular, 300 schools are being used to accommodate the victims, which has disrupted the educational process for more than 100 thousand students.
At the same time, funding shortages persist in many key areas, said Imran Riza. He also warned that Lebanon’s healthcare system is overwhelmed due to the escalation of hostilities.
“We are well prepared, and fortunately, we were able to obtain trauma kits and other materials and distribute them throughout the country, because now the displacement of the population is not only happening in the south,” he noted.