Lebanon may be seeing 'largest displacement' ever: PM Mikati
3 Min Read
The premier told reporters that "the estimated number is very high and may reach one million" -- about one-sixth of Lebanon's population.
-
Families carry their belongings in Beirut's Martyr's Square after fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Dahiyeh on September 28, 2024. (AP)
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned Sunday that intense Israeli bombardment may have caused up to a million people to flee parts of Lebanon, perhaps creating the biggest displacement crisis in the country's history.
The premier told reporters that "the estimated number is very high and may reach one million" -- about one-sixth of Lebanon's population.
"It is the largest displacement movement that may have happened... in Lebanon," Mikati highlighted.
Since Monday, "Israel" has launched a massive aggression on Lebanon's east and south, as well as the Southern Suburb of the capital Beirut, killing hundreds and forcing more to flee their homes as a result of indiscriminate attacks.
Earlier this week, UN refugee director Filippo Grandi stated that "well over 200,000 people are displaced inside Lebanon" and that more than 50,000 had headed to neighboring Syria.
UNRWA chief: Lebanon’s displaced ‘traumatized by bombardment’
The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) has described significant trauma among Lebanon's displaced population as a result of persistent bombardment and the uncertainty of continued Israeli aggression.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA's Commissioner-General, expressed his worry on X, imploring the international community to ensure the "protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure" amid "Israel's" ongoing attacks on Lebanon.
"We have opened seven shelters for the displaced, currently hosting 1,600 people, including Lebanese, Palestinians, and Syrians," Lazzarini stated.
His comments came in the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes on Beirut that destroyed multiple residential structures on Friday and resulted in the martyrdom of the leader of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
He emphasized that, given Lebanon's long history of war cycles, many of the displaced are experiencing "re-lived trauma" in current circumstances.
Lazzarini cautioned that escalation will exacerbate human suffering and that ongoing Israeli assaults place Lebanon and its people in a desperate humanitarian position.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Lebanon, "Humanitarian needs have reached unprecedented levels that have exhausted current efforts and resources," and immediate assistance is necessary.
Thousands of citizens flocked to the streets late Friday as the Israeli occupation military issued evacuation orders for the citizens of Beirut's Southern Suburb, exacerbating an already severe displacement situation.
In recent days, the city has experienced a surge in the number of individuals escaping Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon.
