Over 1 million displaced in Lebanon, 200,000 flee to Syria in one month, UNHCR says

More than 1 million people have been displaced in Lebanon over the past month following Israeli attacks, with one in every five people in the country currently displaced, according to the UNHCR. UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch told Anadolu that the humanitarian situation in Lebanon is "deepening day by day."

Escalating displacement

"We have seen it during the last one month that the Israeli evacuation orders, then the strikes and people have been on the move. Right now inside Lebanon we have more than a million people that have been displaced because of the escalating conflict inside the region and in Lebanon itself as well," Baloch said. He stressed that one in five people inside Lebanon "currently is displaced and many of them are desperate, they're traumatized," adding that displacement is occurring across the country, with more than 130,000 people sheltering in over 600 collective centers.

Syria crossing

In the past month alone, more than 200,000 people crossed from Lebanon into Syria. Of those, around 180,000 were Syrian refugees previously living in Lebanon, while more than 20,000 were Lebanese nationals. "If you do an average of last one month, we have had around 7,000 people, Lebanese and Syrians arriving into Syria each day for one month. It's a very difficult situation for the civilian population," Baloch said.

Humanitarian needs

Humanitarian partners have distributed around 200,000 aid items so far. Families are sleeping in overcrowded shelters, often without adequate indoor conditions. UNHCR has launched a humanitarian appeal of more than $60 million. "We are seeking more than US$300 million to support Lebanese and Syrian refugees inside the country who have been displaced by this conflict for the coming months," he added.

Iran displacement

Baloch also addressed the situation in Iran, which has been under attack by Israel and the US. Describing conditions as "quite worrying," he said local authorities estimate more than 3 million Iranians have been displaced internally over the past month. He noted Iran hosts around 1.6 million Afghan refugees. UNHCR has launched an $80 million humanitarian appeal to support Afghan refugees and Iranian host communities affected by the conflict, aiming to assist around 2.8 million people.

Conflict context

The displacement crisis stems from the US-Israeli offensive on Iran that began Feb. 28, which has killed over 1,340 people in Iran. Israel has also carried out airstrikes and a ground offensive in Lebanon since March 2, with Lebanese authorities reporting at least 1,268 killed and 3,750 injured.