Lebanon crisis: Over one million people flee strikes amid invasion fears

This article is published in association with United Nations

More than one million people across Lebanon have been uprooted by ongoing and deadly Israeli airstrikes across the country, including one reported early Monday morning in a residential area of central Beirut, adding to fears of a full-scale invasion. 

In a situation update published on Monday the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 11 health workers had been killed and 10 injured between 17 and 28 September. Some 37 health centres have been forced to close due to the fighting out of 317 in total, and three hospitals treating patients have been evacuated.

“Many healthcare workers have been displaced especially in the south, Bekaa and South Beirut”, WHO reported.

WHO is continued to support Lebanon’s public health emergency response with staffing, financial and technical support, helping coordinate referrals and boosting trauma surgery capacity.

Humanitarian appeal

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres continues to be deeply concerned over the humanitarian repercussions of the continued bombing by Israel and rocket fire from Hezbollah, his Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Monday.

Briefing correspondents in New York, Mr Dujarric reiterated the UN chief’s call for de-escalation, a ceasefire and “the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701.”

“The Secretary-General and his senior staff are in contact with our representatives on the ground, who continue to engage with all actors and all parties to appeal for diplomatic avenues to be given space.

The UN peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, which patrols the line of separation between southern Lebanon and northern Israel remains in place but the intensity of military action is preventing “Blue Helmets” from carrying out their tasks or moving around their area of responsibility, Mr. Dujarric continued.

A Flash Appeal will be launched on Tuesday to meet the growing needs of around one million people impacted by the growing crisis. 

Victims young and old

Among the victims of the weekend bombardment was six-year-old Selena al Smarah, killed along with her parents at home in the southern city of Tyre on Saturday. Her sister Celine, 10, survived but sustained injuries in the attack.

The sisters were regulars at an arts workshop run by the NGO Tiro Association for Arts which has centres in Tyre and Tripoli in the north.

In photos shared with UN News, a smiling Selena holds up one of her drawings from a workshop a day before the attack, while in a short video her sister explains how the sessions cheer her up and let her get together with friends.

Six-year-old Selena al Smarah was killed along with her parents in a missile strike at her home in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre.

“We will continue our work for these children and youngsters in these time of war for as long as it takes,” said actor-director Kassem Istanbouli, who heads the volunteer group. Its aim is to foster art education in marginalized areas throughout Lebanon and forge bonds between divided communities.

Last year, Mr. Istanbouli was the joint recipient of the UNESCO Sharjah prize for Arab Culture. In 2021 UN Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged Mr. Istanbouli’s efforts in engaging youth for positive change and in reopening theatres closed by the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Mr. Istanbouli explained that the sisters attended workshops while their parents sold sweetcorn and beans at a small stand near the Lebanese National Theatre in Tyre. “Every day she and her sister come to participate in the training workshop, and every day she would say, ‘Professor Kassem, are we having a drawing class today?’ And she was happy when I said yes…the world should ensure there’s accountability for this ugly crime against Selena.”

Exodus to Syria

Meanwhile, some 100,000 of the displaced have reached neighbouring Syria, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

“The outflow continues,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, in a tweet, accompanied by a picture of hundreds of people squeezed together at a Syrian-Lebanese border crossing.

Mr. Grandi noted that the agency’s teams were on hand at four crossing points inside Syria to support new arrivals.

The development follows a dramatic escalation of hostilities between the Israel military and the Hezbollah armed group based in Lebanon, whose longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in a strike on Friday.

On Monday, Hamas announced that its leader in Lebanon, Fatah Sherif al-Amin, had been killed in an airstrike on a refugee camp for Palestinians, along with his family.

Humanitarian relief is being provided by the refugee agency, UNHCR and other UN agencies including UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees, which has opened nine shelters accommodating 3,350 people.

“UNRWA provides in these shelters aid based on impartiality and non-discrimination, hosting Palestine refugees, Lebanese and Syrian refugees, supporting all in need,” said UNRWA Lebanon spokesperson Fadi El Tayyar.

The UN aid coordinating office, OCHA, said that 90 per cent of the one million people displaced fled their homes in just the last week.

“Displacement now surpasses the 2006 war, triggered by intense Israeli strikes and orders for civilian evacuations,” said OCHA in a tweet.

According to Lebanon’s health ministry, Israeli attacks have killed 105 people since Sunday across the country.