By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN agencies said on Saturday that the humanitarian situation in Lebanon has surpassed the devastation wrought by the war with Israel in 2006 published the latest updates from the ground amid calls for an immediate ceasefire.
A new Israel airstrike hit the border post of Joussieh, where many Lebanese and Syrian people are crossing to escape the violence.
“Humanitarian structures are also struck,” said Filippo Grandi, head of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, in a social media post early Saturday.
“Even fleeing (and taking care of those who flee) are becoming difficult and dangerous as the war continues to spreads,” he said.
Lebanese authorities reported in the latest flash update from the UN humanitarian coordination office that as daily Israeli airstrikes and bombings continue to ravage parts of the country, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon has reached levels that exceed the severity of the 2006 war, with ongoing hostilities resulting in 2,867 deaths and over 13,000 injuries since 8 October 2023.
Among the 2,867 people killed and 13,047 injured since 8 October 2023, 178 children were killed and 1,173 injured
A total of 842,648 people are internally displaced of whom 52 per cent female and 48 per cent male, according to the UN migration agency, IOM.
WHO reported 36 attacks on healthcare facilities, with 85 health workers killed and 51 injured while on duty, between 17 September and 31 October 2024
OCHA said that the situation has escalated anew in recent days, which reported that the Israeli army had issued displacement orders for residents of Baalbek and Nabatieh, shortly before airstrikes targeted
The toll on the population has been exacerbated by the destruction of critical infrastructure including healthcare, with many hospitals overwhelmed and urgently requesting blood donations to address the critical influx of casualties.
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, condemned attacks on civilians and infrastructure, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities to protect vulnerable populations.
UN agencies and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon said 10,000 troops in southern Lebanon continue to support conflict-affected vulnerable populations, providing essential services and supplies.
Israel’s consecutive evacuation orders on 30 and 31 October for Baalbek had triggered widespread panic and the displacement of civilians on the roads towards Zahle and Akkar, according to OCHA’s latest report.
Similar evacuation notices were issued in various localities in Nabatieh, Tyre and Beirut’s southern suburbs, further intensifying the crisis, but such displacement orders are not consistently issued ahead of every strike, leaving civilians uncertain and vulnerable in the face of ongoing hostilities, the OCHA said.
On 31 October, the Israeli army issued its first ever displacement order for a refugee camp – Rashidieh Palestinian camp – along with 10 villages in southern Lebanon, forcing residents into difficult decisions amid limited options for safe refuge.
OCHA reported that Palestinian refugees undertaken without warning nor displacement orders.
Medical first responders continued to operate in highly dangerous situations, the agency said.
In addition, expecting mothers have been seriously affected by the escalating violence in Lebanon, according to the UN agency for sexual and reproductive health, UNFPA.
The intensified conflict in across the country has impacted over 11,000 pregnant women, with 1,300 expected to give birth imminently despite massive infrastructure losses and a health system on the edge, according to UNFPA.
UNICEF also issued a warning about the devastating physical and emotional impacts of the conflict on children, noting that the war has left children traumatized, exhibiting profound emotional and physical distress, including heightened anxiety, aggression and sleep disruptions.
The agency said that one child has been killed and 10 injured daily in the country which has been providing psychological support to thousands.
UNICEF said true recovery can only begin with a permanent ceasefire, ensuring safe access to essential services for Lebanon’s children.
Food insecurity is set to worsen significantly due to intensifying conflict and economic strain, putting Lebanon on the list of hotspots of very high concern, according to the latest hunger hotspots report released by UN food agencies.
Over 1.3 million people, or 23 per cent of Lebanon’s population, faced high levels of acute food insecurity, including 85,000 in emergency conditions from April to September 2024,.
The report urged expanded food aid, cash support and agricultural assistance to address the needs of communities affected by Lebanon’s escalating crisis.
The ongoing conflict is also deepening Lebanon’s economic crisis, with the WFP reporting on the potential contraction of the gross domestic production of up to 15.6 per cent.
Such key sectors as tourism and agriculture are severely impacted, exacerbating inflation and destabilizing supply chains.
FAO has reported that the escalation of the conflict is worsening the hardships facing agriculture-dependent communities, intensifying an already severe food security crisis nationwide.
Israeli airstrikes continue bombing food-producing areas.
Over 1,900 hectares of farmland in south and Nabatieh governorates have been damaged or remain un harvested due to the ongoing conflict.
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