Highlighting the deepening humanitarian disaster for civilians on Lebanon’s Independence Day, the United Nations refugee agency, UNCHR, warned of a widespread sense of insecurity and fear as the war continues.
“In recent weeks, Israel has significantly increased its airstrikes and ground incursions, and this has deepened the humanitarian disaster that has affected civilians,” Ivo Freijsen said. UNHCR Representative in Lebanon. “The past few weeks have been the most dangerous and devastating for Lebanon and its people in decades.”
Great displacement crisis
To date, nearly a million people have been displaced across Lebanon – one-fifth of the population – and nearly 600,000 have crossed the border into Syria.
People flee fighting in Lebanon as they walk across the Jdeidet Yabous border into Syria.
According to authorities, as of November 20, there was Nearly 3,600 deaths were confirmed, including more than 230 children, and more than 15,000 people were injured.
Speaking from the war-torn country, Mr. Freijsen called for international support to “increase winter support; it has started to rain and in some areas the first snow has fallen…we have a huge collective effort ahead, we need to pursue creating better conditions for all those displaced through through specific winter support and improved shelter.”
UNHCR officials emphasized the need to ensure equal access to shelter for all displaced persons, especially refugees who were already in an extremely precarious situation before this crisis . The agency’s response includes counseling, community support and creating safe spaces for those most at risk. To date, it has reached more than 100,000 people during the current state of emergency and supports a network of 44 medical facilities across the country, including providing life-saving equipment, such as kits injury.
According to the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 10 hospitals have shut down operations or been forced to reduce services as attacks continue to target health care facilities and personnel.
Ambulance targeting
Dr Abdinasir Abubakar, WHO Representative in the country said: “A striking sign of the conflict in Lebanon is its level of devastation to the healthcare sector, which is unprecedented anywhere else. What level?
Quote Data from the United Nations health agencyHe noted that nearly 330 healthcare workers have been killed in Lebanon since October 8 last year and that “47% of these attacks on the healthcare sector have proven fatal.”
Asked to explain this high mortality rate, Dr. Abubakar added that on the frontline “More ambulances have been targeted – and whenever ambulances are actually targeted you have three, four or five paramedics killed.”
In an update from the Lebanon-Syria border crossing at Jdaidet Yabous, UNHCR Representative in Syria, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, reported that an estimated 560,000 people have sought shelter inside Syria since September 24 – about 65% are Syrian and the remainder are Lebanese. However, crossing the border remains extremely dangerous for civilians and humanitarians alike.
“It’s clear from our interactions with the Syrian and Lebanese people we talk to at the border that IDF bombings at border crossings – including the one where I’m staying which has been bombed at least twice in the past few weeks – This has had a great effect in reducing numbers. Mr. Vargas Llosa told journalists in Geneva via video link. Syrians and Lebanese are afraid to use these escape routes.
Despair and danger at the border
The UNHCR official added that about 50 Lebanese nationals are returning to Lebanon every day to cope with the “disastrous” economic situation in Syria, along with a small number of Syrians.
“They will come back because they can’t make enough money here because they don’t get enough support and they think they can also live better in Lebanon. Again, these are very, very small numbers. But for us, Even small numbers are worrying signals.”
