Since 20 September, Lebanon has been experiencing the effects of a dramatic escalation of the war between Israel and Hezbollah. This wave of violence is taking its toll on civilians, and the Lebanese government estimates that 1.2 million people have fled their homes to escape the heavy bombardment. Our teams are working to deliver emergency aid to the population in distress.
Since the end of September, Israeli air strikes have dramatically intensified in southern and eastern Lebanon and have spread to other areas of the country not previously affected by the violence, including densely populated areas of Beirut.
Terrified people are leaving everything behind to seek safety: tens of thousands of men, women and children – including some of our Lebanese staff and their families – are fleeing the bombed areas to various parts of Beirut, Mount Lebanon, the Bekaa and the north. The Lebanese government estimates that there are now 1.2 million IDPs in the country. Currently, 186,400 people are seeking refuge in 1.023 shelters, 822 of which have already reached maximum capacity. Those still seeking housing take temporary shelter in their cars and public places.
The number of displaced people in Lebanon is likely to rise as, according to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), a quarter of Lebanese territory is currently under Israeli military eviction orders, which are being issued daily.
Now all these people, who have fled with nothing, are in need of the most basic necessities: food, water, emergency medical kits, mattresses, blankets and pillows, as well as fuel to ensure electricity for the collective shelters and the facilities that supply water.
Our teams, including the displaced staff, immediately mobilised to assist the fleeing population: We are working in a number of collective centres in the Beirut and Mount Lebanon area, in the Bekaa, in the north and south of the country, to make them suitable to receive displaced people; we are distributing hygiene kits and basic non-food items to people in collective shelters; and we are providing cash assistance to those who have not found a place in the shelters to meet their immediate needs. We also provide psychological first aid and recreational activities for displaced children, who UNICEF reports currently number over 350,000 in Lebanon. Finally, we are monitoring the needs of Syrian refugees who are currently living on the streets or who have chosen to remain in areas that are presently unsafe. We continue to remotely support the most vulnerable cases we were following in Tyre before the security situation in the country deteriorated.
According to the Lebanese authorities, from 8 October 2023 to date, Israeli attacks have killed more than 2,000 people, including aid workers and healthcare workers, and injured more than 10,000. A dramatic toll that is putting a strain on the country’s health system and the psychological health of the entire population.
The attacks of recent days have already caused an unacceptable number of civilian casualties, mass displacements and destruction of critical civilian infrastructure. International actors who can influence the course of the ongoing conflict must act now to contain the violence in Lebanon and prevent a regional escalation of the war in Gaza, which would have devastating effects on the civilian population. Without swift action towards a ceasefire, the situation will continue to worsen, and as hostilities escalate, the risk of wider regional escalation is getting closer every day.