suffering of Lebanon refugees exacerbates due to the bloody war 

Large numbers of civilians were forcibly displaced, having no choice but to flee leaving behind their property and everything they owned behind towards safer places in Beirut, the North and Mount Lebanon. Some fled to relatives’ homes or rented a house in areas far from the conflict, while others headed to schools that had been turned into shelters.

According to Lebanese government figures, the death toll and the number of wounded as a result of Israeli attacks since October 8, 2023 has exceeded 2,000 dead, while the number of wounded has exceeded 9,000.

According to the head of the International Organization for Migration office in Lebanon, Matthew Luciano, about 235,000 people crossed the Lebanese border into Syria by land during the period from September 21 to October 3.

Luciano stated that this mass displacement included about 82,000 Lebanese and 152,000 Syrians, reflecting the seriousness of the escalating regional tensions and the increasing instability in the region.

In terms of shelter numbers, about 900 government shelters for the displaced in Lebanon are completely full as a result of the hundreds of thousands of Lebanese fleeing the Israeli bombing that targeted several areas in the country.

The displacement operations have increased as the areas of Israeli bombing have expanded to include areas in the capital Beirut, and local authorities say they are facing difficulties in securing the needs of the displaced.

According to the Minister of Social Affairs in the Lebanese caretaker government, Hector Hajjar, there are about 200,000 displaced people in shelters, and there are a large number of displaced people on the roads of different nationalities, while the rest of the displaced Lebanese have sought refuge with their relatives.

The dream of the displaced is to return to their homes safely

The suffering of the displaced people inside their country is a painful experience that is reflected in aspects of their daily lives, especially after their homes were destroyed and their dreams and memories were killed, and they are now searching for safety in shelters and waiting to return to their homes safely

During a tour by ANHA's agency to a number of shelters in Lebanon, a number of displaced persons confirmed that their first concern is to end the war that exhausts them every day, kills their children and destroys their villages. They hold Israel responsible, as it continues its aggression and violates international laws and conventions that aim to reduce human suffering resulting from war, and protect civilians from violence, displacement and deprivation of the basic necessities of life.

The displaced persons also mentioned through ANHA's agency that the major countries also bear responsibility for this war, especially the United States, which supports Israel politically and militarily and gives it the right to defend itself and does not hold it accountable for committing massacres.

The displaced say that humane treatment of prisoners and the wounded is absent, in addition to the violation of international laws that stipulate the protection of civilians and their property, such as hospitals, schools and homes, from the indiscriminate destruction practiced by Israel in its ongoing war, stressing that "hope remains for the end of the war and the victory of the resistance over Israel."

The suffering of the Lebanese displaced in light of the ongoing escalation remains a stark expression of the humanitarian gaps that are widening in the conflict areas. With each passing day, the urgent need for real local and international efforts aimed at ending the war and spreading calm on Lebanese territory increases. Safe return to homes is not just a dream, but a basic right for every human being. Hope remains pinned on achieving a lasting peace that ends the suffering of these people, restores their ability to rebuild their lives, and returns Lebanon to the line of stability away from the fires of war that are destroying people and stones.

T/ Satt.

ANHA