Ongoing hostilities and evacuation orders affect thousands of people in Lebanon
Israel issued a new relocation order that day for several Palestinian villages and the Rashiedeh refugee camp, located in the south of the country.
This marks the first time the Israeli military has called for the evacuation of a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, the UN agency said. speak.
Thousands of people are fleeing
The Israeli army also ordered the evacuation of people in the eastern city of Baalbeck for the second time in two days.
OCHA said Wednesday’s displacement orders and airstrikes in Baalbek and surrounding areas had forced thousands of people to flee, with displacement continuing on Thursday.
Many of those affected spent the night in their cars, facing harsh conditions as they searched for safety.
Reported violent conflict
In New York, United Nations Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric updated journalist on the activities of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIT), peacekeepers remained at their positions and continued to monitor and report on the situation on the ground.
UNIFIL said violent clashes between Hezbollah and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were reported in the Khiam area on Thursday.
The IDF has continued to attack areas across Lebanon, including in the south, Baalbek and near the capital Beirut, with many casualties reported, while Hezbollah rockets are said to have killed five people near Metula in northern Israel.
Respect the UN
UNIFIL peacekeepers patrol the “Blue Line” between Lebanon and Israel and on Wednesday, one of the Mission’s positions located nearby suffered minor damage to its barracks and a vehicle by a explosion in the area.
“We once again remind all those involved in this conflict of the inviolability of United Nations installations and those of our peacekeeping forces, both Military and civilian uniforms, must be respected.”, Mr. Dujarric said.
He added that the growing hostility was extremely worrying and called for an immediate end to the violence.
He said UNIFIL remains focused on helping the local community. This week, Peacekeepers delivered essential humanitarian aid, including medicine and medical equipment, to the City of Tire “in the challenging context of southern Lebanon.”
‘Devastating figures’ for children
Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Catherine Russell, warned of the devastating physical and mental effects of the conflict on boys and girls.
“According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, 166 children have died since October 2023, while at least 1,168 children have been injured. This devastating number increases every day,” she said in a statement issued on Thursday.
Furthermore, since October 4 this year, every day at least one child has died and 10 have been injured. Thousands more have survived months of constant bombing, now suffering deeply from the violence and chaos around them.
Alarming signs of distress
Ms. Russell reports that children across Lebanon are showing alarming signs of emotional, behavioral and physical distress.
“UNICEF teams met the children gripped by intense fear and increased anxietyincluding separation anxiety, fear of loss, withdrawal, aggression and difficulty concentrating,” she said.
“Many people have had their sleep disrupted, haunted by nightmares, headaches and loss of appetite. Deprived of the safety, stability and support that schools provide, many of these children do not have the space they need to play, learn and heal.”
While UNICEF is on hand to provide urgent psychological support to thousands of children and caregivers, she emphasized that “true healing can only begin when violence ends.”
Pregnant women’s concerns
UN aid groups operating in Lebanon also highlighted the huge challenges facing thousands of women preparing to give birth in war-torn areas and called for increased international support.
United Nations sexual and reproductive services agency, UNFPAsaid more than 11,600 pregnant women had been affected by the escalating bombardment.
Many people were displaced and lived in temporary shelters for weeks and months The agency’s Pamela di Camillo said they had exhausted their savings and were unable to seek vital medical help. UN News in Geneva.
She said some women have been on the move for a year and have lost contact with their gynecologist.
“They did not carry any information about the pregnancy with them, so not only were they afraid for the house they left behind in the village, but they were also afraid for the child they were carrying, and they were bleeding. premature contractions due to injury and situation,” she added.
Support and dignity
Ms. di Camillo noted that UNFPA has worked with Lebanese health authorities to identify and help all pregnant women by increasing the number of midwives receiving UN support and distributing kits. Dignity tools for women in shelters.
“The response needs to be replicated everywhereShe said, warning that the situation remains dangerous for humanitarian workers struggling to reach all vulnerable women.
UNFPA recent report that some 1,300 pregnant women are expected to give birth in November, even as nearly a quarter of infrastructure has been destroyed in Lebanon, where an already overwhelmed health system has been pushed to the brink.
