A United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) official reported today that approximately 900 government shelters in Lebanon are nearly full, with a growing number of people fleeing Israeli bombing forced to sleep outdoors.
“Most of the government shelters, numbering around 900, no longer have capacity,” stated Rola Amin, UNHCR spokesperson, during a press briefing in Geneva.
With winter approaching, UNHCR is concerned that the conditions for those affected by the escalating conflict will worsen.
Non-governmental organizations, including Amnesty International and Doctors of the World, urged a ceasefire on Thursday and called for increased humanitarian aid to Lebanon, where the situation is described as “horrific” for hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals.
During a video conference attended by organizations such as Amnesty International, Oxfam, Doctors of the World, Refugees International, and Action Against Hunger, Jennifer Morehead from Save the Children highlighted the dire situation.
“With over 1.2 million people displaced, which constitutes about 20% of the population, the crisis has reached alarming proportions. The last two days have been absolutely terrifying,” she added.
Al-Manar TV, affiliated with Hezbollah, reported on Friday that traffic has come to a standstill in both directions between Syria and Lebanon after an Israeli missile strike targeted the Masnaa-Jdeideh Yabous route.
The Masnaa crossing witnessed thousands of Lebanese and Syrians crossing from Lebanon into Syrian territory in recent days, fleeing Israeli air raids targeting southern Beirut suburbs, the eastern Bekaa region, and southern Lebanon.
Israeli forces have been conducting extensive aerial attacks across various areas in Lebanon for a week, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries, alongside substantial destruction.
Najib Mikati, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister, stated a few days ago that the ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon might have displaced “a million people,” potentially marking the largest displacement in the country’s history.
