Handle UNHCR Executive Committee in Geneva, High Commissioner Filippo Grandi said that nowhere “the uncertainty and anxiety at this time is more evident than in Lebanon”.
“Today, instability clouds the lives of civilians in Lebanon. Certainly, if the air strikes continue, many more people will have to evacuate and some will also decide to move to other countries,” he said.
Mr. Grandi reiterated the urgent need for a ceasefire in Lebanon as well as in the Gaza Strip: “A ceasefire is sustained by a meaningful peace process, however difficult. This is the only way to break the vicious cycle of violence, hatred and suffering.”, he emphasized.
He emphasized that the ceasefire would not only allow displaced people to return home but would also help stem the trend of regional war.
UNIFIL stands firm
The urgency of a diplomatic solution to the conflict was reiterated in southern Lebanon, where United Nations peacekeepers serve in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIT) retains his position under the authority of Security Councildespite being targeted again over the weekend.
Five peacekeepers were injured, peacekeeping positions violate and damaged, with movement hindered by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in recent days, amid soaring tensions, continuous shelling from Hezbollah and Israel – and multiple incursions into the IDF’s Lebanon.
“We need to be there, we need to have an impartial force in southern Lebanon that can still report to the Security Council,” UNIFIL Spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said when speaking to UN News in an interview on Monday.
Established by the United Nations Security Council, UNIFIL is assigned the task by overseeing the cessation of hostilities following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, confirming the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and assisting the Lebanese government in restoring power in the region.
Although the Mission is unable to support local communities and its surveillance capabilities are limited due to ongoing shelling and bombing, Mr. Tenenti emphasized that its role right now is perhaps “critical more than ever”.
“Therefore, it is important to maintain an international presence and keep the United Nations flag in the region.”
More than 1.2 million people were displaced
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation across Lebanon continues to deteriorate, with more than 1.2 million people forced to flee their homes, according to UNHCR.
The agency is ramping up its emergency response and providing critical assistance to both Lebanese as well as refugees sheltering there before the conflict escalated.
“The streets of Beirut were filled with people struggling to find shelter. Humanitarian needs are increasing significantly,” UNHCR said in a statement parcel on X
Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians have crossed the border into Syria under difficult circumstances, many of them women and children.
Impact on children
The dramatic escalation has also seriously affected children. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), they account for one-third of all people displaced from their homes.
Ted Chaiban, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, explain that many of the affected children had been adopted by relatives or family friends but some were in temporary shelters.
Speaking from a shelter converted into a school in Zahle, eastern Lebanon, he said UNICEF is supporting families with nutrition, psychosocial support and learning activities for children.
It also ensures that there is water and sanitation facilities for a school that is not equipped to accommodate more than 400 people.
“What the country really needs is an end to violations of international humanitarian law, protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and a ceasefire,” Mr. Chaiban said.
“This madness must stop.”
