Today's Edition
ISIDORA CIRIC (ABU DHABI)
Israel launched its first ground incursion into southern Lebanon in almost two decades late on Monday night, following a series of air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs. The escalating conflict has displaced over 200,000 people, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), though Lebanese authorities estimate that the actual number could be closer to one million.
The aggression has triggered Lebanon’s largest internal displacement in history, with Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, warning that the escalating violence across the country is pushing the situation to “dangerous heights.”
“Every rocket and missile fired, every bomb dropped and every ground raid conducted pull the parties further from the vision set out in Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) and the conditions needed for the safe return of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line,” she added in a statement on Tuesday, referring to a resolution that ended the 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
As the violence intensifies and diplomatic efforts struggle to gain traction, all eyes turn to the UN Security Council’s upcoming discussions on Lebanon. While Resolution 1701 was not mentioned in the Council’s October schedule published on Tuesday, its members are set to discuss the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of Resolution 1559, which reaffirms Lebanon’s sovereignty and calls for the disarmament of all militias operating in the country.
“This cycle of violence will not end well - for anyone. A sliver of opportunity remains for diplomacy to succeed. The question now is whether it will be seized or squandered,” the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon added.
Civilians Suffer as Healthcare Buckles Under Pressure
The violence has resulted in the largest internal displacement crisis Lebanon has ever witnessed, with thousands of families being forced from their homes. According to a flash update from the UNFPA, published on Tuesday, over 211,300 people are currently displaced, more than half of whom are women.
"From my balcony, I saw dozens of people walking in the streets carrying what they could, plastic bags, backpacks, or nothing," said Maryam Srour, an MSF field communications manager from Beirut, in a statement on Tuesday.
Worsening the plight of the most vulnerable, of those displaced, approximately 121,200 are children, 59,200 are women of reproductive age, and around 2,450 women are pregnant, UN agencies said on Tuesday. Many of these pregnant women are expected to give birth in the coming month, yet the growing number of injured, as well as damaged infrastructure, pose concerns about access to healthcare and maternal support.
The displaced are forced to seek refuge in overcrowded and poorly equipped shelters with inadequate sanitation and hygiene facilities, particularly for women and girls.
In a statement published by UNFPA, Alma, a 52-year-old woman displaced from the southern suburbs of Beirut, described the terrible conditions in the shelter where she and her two teenage daughters are now staying.
"I have two teenage daughters who are now sharing a bathroom with hundreds of other people. Risks of infection are very high," Alma said.
Adding to the woes, UN agencies reported that over 25 water facilities serving 360,000 people have been damaged, further worsening living conditions for displaced communities.
UNICEF reported damage to five hospitals in Nabatieh and South, and the disruption of health services in 39 primary healthcare centres across Lebanon. Insecurity Insight, a humanitarian association, also reported on Tuesday that the recent air strikes have damaged six ambulances and struck multiple hospitals, while at least two health workers were killed and several others injured. It added that, as a result of recent events, more than 1000 people have been killed, while many of the injured require urgent medical care to prevent further fatalities - yet, hospitals remain to suffer consistent damage.
The UN and the Lebanese government launched a $426 million flash appeal on Tuesday to address the mounting humanitarian crisis. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati made an urgent call for international support.
"This is a critical moment that demands the immediate attention and action of the international community," he said in Tuesday’s statement published by OCHA.
UN Humanitarian Coordinator Imran Riza warned that no amount of aid can fully alleviate the crisis if civilians continue to be targeted. "We must act swiftly and decisively to ensure that those affected by this crisis receive the essential support they require," he said, urging all parties to respect international humanitarian law.
