Lebanon: UN agencies call for ceasefire as war worsens dire conditions

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.

Daily airstrikes

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, Lebanese authorities reported in the latest flash update from the UN humanitarian coordination office, OCHA.

Here are some highlights from that report:

• 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.
• The UN health agency, 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

The situation has escalated anew in recent days, according to OCHA, which reported that the Israeli army had issued displacement orders for residents of Baalbek and Nabatieh, shortly before airstrikes targeted these locations, along with the first evacuation order for a refugee camp.

Bombs destroy critical sites

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.

Meanwhile UN agencies and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) 10,000 troops in southern Lebanon continue to support conflict-affected vulnerable populations, providing essential services and supplies.

Widespread panic amid evacuation orders

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. Many people spent the night in their vehicles, facing harsh weather and security conditions as they searched for safety.

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 UN office 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.

This follows strikes over the past month on two other camps for Palestinian refugees, undertaken without warning nor displacement orders, OCHA reported.

Highly dangerous conditions

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, which is supporting maternal health across Lebanon and Syria with critical medical, psychological and logistical assistance for displaced and vulnerable women during the ongoing crisis.

A least one child dies every day

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also issued a warning about the devastating physical and emotional impacts of the conflict on children, noting that the war has left children traumatised, exhibiting profound emotional and physical distress, including heightened anxiety, aggression and sleep disruptions.

Since 4 October 2024, at least one child has been killed and 10 injured daily in the country, said the agency, which has been providing psychological support to thousands.

True recovery can only begin with a permanent ceasefire, ensuring safe access to essential services for Lebanon’s children, UNICEF said.

Hunger on the rise

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.

From April to September 2024, 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.

The report urged expanded food aid, cash support and agricultural assistance to address the needs of communities affected by Lebanon’s escalating crisis.

Read the full hunger hotspots report here.

Parallel economic crisis

The ongoing conflict is also deepening Lebanon’s economic crisis, with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) reporting on the potential contraction of the gross domestic production (GDP) of up to 15.6 per cent.

Such key sectors as tourism and agriculture are severely impacted, exacerbating inflation and destabilising supply chains.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (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. More than 1,900 hectares of farmland in south and Nabatieh governorates have been damaged or remain unharvested due to the ongoing conflict.