In just one week, nearly one million people have been forced to flee their homes in Lebanon due to escalating Israeli airstrikes, as reported by the Lebanese government. The conflict, which has now spread into Lebanon from Gaza, has intensified with Israeli forces launching dozens of airstrikes on the capital Beirut, the southern regions, and the Bekaa Valley. These attacks have devastated civilian infrastructure and led to the largest displacement in Lebanon's history, according to caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
Over 250,000 Lebanese are currently seeking refuge in shelters, many of which are overcrowded and under-resourced. Informal camps have sprung up in city squares, and thousands of families are sleeping in the open due to a severe shortage of available space. The United Nations (UN) and other humanitarian agencies, such as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), have warned of an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe as resources are rapidly depleting. Medical facilities are overwhelmed with casualties, with the Lebanese health ministry reporting over 1,600 dead and more than 8,000 injured.
Please spread this link and donate if you can to help displaced families in Lebanon!!!https://t.co/QfLESiggIT pic.twitter.com/Cr1dsbpr3e
— elliot 🍉 (@snookie_ijbol) September 25, 2024
The situation has pushed many Lebanese, as well as Syrian refugees previously living in the country, to flee to neighboring Syria. According to local reports, nearly 22,000 Lebanese and an additional 22,000 Syrians have crossed the border back into Syria, a country already crippled by its own decade-long civil war. The influx of displaced individuals further strains Lebanon, which has been grappling with economic collapse and a political vacuum long before this latest escalation.
Israeli airstrikes on southern Beirut have been particularly brutal. On Friday, 82 airstrikes razed entire residential buildings in the suburbs, causing further disarray and panic. Hezbollah, Lebanon’s militant group, has suffered significant losses, with several senior leaders reportedly killed in the bombardments. Among them was Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, a key figure in the organization's military operations against Israel.
There’s a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon. Almost one million displaced from southern Lebanon and parts of Beirut. People are living in parks and in makeshift tents on the beach and corniche. pic.twitter.com/TI9l2zwrsW
— courtneybonneauimages (@cbonneauimages) September 29, 2024
The conflict escalated following Israel's response to cross-border Hezbollah attacks, which came in the wake of its war with Hamas in Gaza. Lebanon, already a fragile state hosting over a million Syrian refugees, is now teetering on the edge of a full-blown humanitarian disaster.
The UN has called for urgent international intervention to provide food, medical supplies, and shelter for the displaced. Meanwhile, aid workers face immense challenges in delivering assistance to affected regions, many of which have become inaccessible due to the ongoing military operations.
As the crisis unfolds, the Lebanese government is struggling to cope with the sheer scale of displacement. Prime Minister Mikati has urged for a diplomatic resolution, but with no end to the violence in sight, fears grow that the situation will worsen, leaving Lebanon further destabilized. The war has already crippled the country’s health care system, with hospitals operating well beyond capacity and facing critical shortages of supplies.
With Lebanon already grappling with economic collapse, political turmoil, and hosting a significant refugee population from Syria, the current conflict could push the country toward complete destabilization.
