The UN on Wednesday expressed deep alarm about surging displacement and deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Lebanon as Israeli military activity across the south reached record levels for the third consecutive day, Anadolu reports.
“We are deeply concerned by the ongoing hostilities, as people continue to be forced to leave their homes in search of safety,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference.
Dujarric said an estimated 200,000 people were displaced from Beirut’s southern suburbs following an evacuation order issued by Israel on June 1, with tens of thousands more fleeing violence across southern Lebanon in recent days.
“Nearly 135,000 people have registered in collective shelters, which are increasingly overcrowded, with thousands more staying on the streets and seaside, among other places,” he said, warning that the displacement was putting “severe pressure on already overstretched systems.”
Dujarric also said the UN was “alarmed by the continued impact of hostilities on the health care system in Lebanon.”
Noting the sharp escalation in Israeli military activity reported by UN peacekeepers in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Dujarric said UNIFIL detected 70 violations of Lebanese airspace by Israeli forces, approximately 24 airstrikes and one rocket attack from an Israeli helicopter.
“UNIFIL recorded approximately 826 trajectories of projectiles fired from IDF (Israeli military) positions south of the Blue Line and within the area of operations, marking, for the third consecutive day, a concerning record since 17 April,” he said, adding that the mission also recorded 21 projectile launches from north to south, presumably by Hezbollah.
Israel has continued near-daily airstrikes and ground attacks in Lebanon despite a ceasefire that took effect April 17 and was later extended until early July.
Since March 2, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 3,500 people and displaced more than 1.6 million, according to Lebanese officials.
