Thousands continue to flee Lebanon for Syria. UN warns of catastrophic situation in southern Lebanon, ‘tipping point’ in Syria Peace and Security
Amid deadly Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, UN aid agencies are warning that basic infrastructure and services in the south of the country are on the brink of collapse.
For example, a strike on the southern Lebanese town of Nabatieh killed five people, including the town’s mayor and a humanitarian response worker, UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said.
Diplomatic Solutions
Military solutions cannot ensure security on either side of the Blue Line, Hennis-Plasschaert stressed. In recent days, several UN peacekeepers patrolling the line of contact between Lebanon and Israel have been injured in incidents involving Israeli troops.
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“It is time for all parties concerned to immediately cease fire and open the way to diplomatic solutions that will promote the well-being of the population and regional stability,” the Special Coordinator said.
Humanitarian crisis
In turn, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon Imran Riza recalled that the escalation of Israeli airstrikes in recent weeks has led to numerous civilian casualties, mass displacement and widespread destruction throughout the country.
Riza added that medical workers and emergency services personnel, as well as civil defense infrastructure and the water supply system, are being attacked. According to him, many vital services are on the verge of collapse.
“Tipping Point” in Syria
Meanwhile, the World Food Program (WFP) said that a “tipping point” has arrived in Syria, where many Lebanese residents are fleeing. The WFP has called on the international community to support efforts to overcome the humanitarian crisis.
WFP Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau said that some 260,000 people have now crossed the border into Syria from Lebanon.
Scau noted that more than half of Syria’s population already faces food shortages, and some three million people are suffering from acute hunger, with food availability deteriorating.
Earlier in the year, WFP was forced to cut aid to Syrians due to funding shortages, and now the situation is even worse due to the influx of refugees.