Lebanon: Many families leave Beirut as Israel threatens new attacks on Hezbollah

Thousands of people fled the southern outskirts of the capital, Beirut, on Monday after Israel announced that it would carry out a new offensive targeting Hezbollah militants sheltering there.

“Families are leaving by car, motorbike and on foot, carrying essential items,” the UN refugee agency said, UNHCR, tweet. Many others are returning to shelters and “fear and uncertainty are increasing.”

The UN reiterated that civilians and civilian infrastructure should not be targeted.

“We urge all parties to respect the cessation of hostilities and avoid further escalation. We condemn all civilian casualties,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric notified journalist in New York.

He underscored the need for a diplomatic solution to end the cycle of violence.

The stakes are high, the costs are great

This development occurred in tandem with the UN Security Council in New York is preparing to hold an emergency session Monday afternoon to discuss the escalating conflict.

Humanity reported that many people fled Beirut and the southern cities of Tire and Saida following threats of strikes and renewed evacuation orders.

UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine-Hennis Plasschaert continued her engagement to defuse tensions, strengthen commitments agreed under the ceasefire, and advance confidence-building measures.

In a tweet, he noted that southern Lebanon was “burning” while the roads in Beirut were “clogged as people fled their homes.”

Senior officials said that suffering increases “as both sides strive for victory.”

However, he added that “escalation has its own logic” and “attempts to contain or manage it are high-risk gambles, with costs borne by people who have lost too much.”

Thousands of people have been killed since March

The crisis in Lebanon is part of unrest taking place in the wider region. The action erupted on March 2, just days after the United States and Israel began bombing Iran, prompting Hezbollah militants in Lebanon to open fire on Israel.

Since then, 3,412 people have been killed and more than 10,000 injured, according to the UN aid coordination office Ocha said on Monday, citing Lebanese health authorities. At least 88 people were reported killed over the weekend.

Health services were also affected by the attacks. World Health Organization (WHO) said five attacks were recorded in the last three days which resulted in one health worker reportedly being killed and 19 others injured.

A US-brokered ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel took effect on April 17 but was never fully adhered to by either side. This agreement was nominally extended twice, most recently on May 16 for a period of 45 days.

UN agencies on the ground, such as UNHCR, have supported the government-led emergency response. Together with partners, the organization has reached hundreds of thousands of people with shelter services, emergency cash assistance, housing support and other assistance.

‘Deepening humanitarian emergency’

However, “almost three months into the conflict, Lebanon faces a worsening humanitarian emergency a significant combination of displacement and increased food insecurity,” United Nations World Food Program (WFP) be warned on Monday.

More than a million civilians have been forced to flee their homes, and food security experts report that 1.24 million people across the country – nearly a quarter of the population – do not get enough food.

WFP emphasizes the importance of sustainable humanitarian access, stable supply flows and predictable funding.

“The ongoing conflict characterized by daily bombings and evacuation orders is challenging humanitarian access and resulting in continued displacement,” the agency said, noting that “these conditions are hampering the delivery of critical aid, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.”

Rising food costs

Although food is still available in many areas of Lebanon, food prices have also increased as fighting escalates. For example, Vegetable prices are now 20 percent higher, while bread prices are around 15 percent more expensive.

Additionally, while markets in Beirut and other areas “remain operational but are under increasing pressure,” most markets in southern Lebanon and Nabatieh – more than 80 percent – ​​no longer function.

Recently, a shipment of 250 metric tons of wheat flour entered Lebanon via Jordan, which is now helping around 10,000 vulnerable households.

Hot meals, food parcels and emergency cash

WFP has stepped up its response efforts, reaching more than 700,000 people to date with hot meals, ready-to-eat rations and meal kits for families taking shelter in refugee camps.

The team has distributed nearly five million hot meals, in addition to helping more than 215,000 refugees in more than 500 shelters across the country, as well as approximately 85,500 people in host communities and hard-to-reach areas.

The UN agency has also provided emergency cash assistance to nearly half a million Lebanese through the national system, and cash assistance to more than 100,000 Syrian refugees.

Since the conflict began, 24 humanitarian convoys have been deployed to communities in Lebanon face access challenges, but more than half of requests have been postponed or canceled due to movement and access risks.

Humanitarian activists will launch a new call this Friday to increase aid in Lebanon over the next three months.