Lebanon: Needs of displaced people unmet

“Amidst the ongoing escalation between Israel and armed groups in Lebanon, the impact is reaching deeper into Lebanon and pushing the humanitarian crisis to alarming levels. Almost 120,000 people have been displaced since Monday alone, in addition to the 111,000 people in Lebanon and 68,000 in northern Israel displaced since October. Some Lebanese villages have almost been entirely deserted amid large-scale destruction. Families do not know which way to turn as Israel bombards scores of towns for the first time. Civilian areas in Lebanon and Israel must not be targeted and respect for international law from all sides is paramount. We need a ceasefire now before more lives are shattered. 

“Upwards of 75,000 people are now seeking shelter in collective centres which are primarily schools and are not adequately equipped to support such numbers. There are no showers or bathing areas, and two or three families are packed up together in the same classroom even if they don’t know each other, leaving many without sufficient privacy. It has been only four days, and it will only get worse with time. The lack of privacy also makes it hard for families to process the trauma that they are experiencing, and our NRC teams report meeting many children who need urgent psychological support. 

“People now being turned away from shelters as there is simply no space for them inside. Lebanese families are themselves opening their doors to people in need, but this is not enough. Some displaced families are forced to seek refuge in bus shelters, in their cars, and outside hospitals, unsure where to go next. Thousands have already sought refuge across the border in Syria.  

“Many families fled with nothing, not even essential medication or a spare set of clothes. The local community is providing vast support, and our teams, many of whom are themselves displaced, are assisting those we can. Because so many people fled in just 48 hours, the needs far outstrip available capacity and preparedness. We urgently need donors to release funding to allow us to scale up our support to families who have lost everything.” 

Notes to editors: 

• The UN report that almost 120,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon since the 23rd of September (OCHA). In addition, since the 8th of October 2023 111,000 people were displaced prior to the 23rd of September (IOM). 

• According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, 600 people, including dozens of children, have been killed, with over 1,700 injured in Lebanon since the 23rd of September (UNICEF). 

• According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health up to the 20th of September, the total number of casualties in Lebanon stood at 3,725, including 613 fatalities (OCHA). 

• The Israeli government reports that 68,600 people have been displaced in northern Israel since the 8th of October 2023 (Knesset). 

• The Israeli government reports that 34 people in northern Israel and 12 children in the Israeli-occupied Golan heights have been killed since the 8th of October 2023 (Amnesty International). 

• There are over 78,000 IDPs in nearly 560 collective shelters, according to the Disaster Risk Management Unit, with most of the shelters being public schools in Beirut and Mount Lebanon Governorates (UNICEF). 

• According to the UN, 30,000 people have crossed from Lebanon into Syria in the first half this week (United Nations). 

• Humanitarian organisations urgently require at least $170 million to sustain ongoing response and respond to new needs, a number which is likely to rise (OCHA). 

• NRC is supporting people in collective sites with essential items including mattresses, blankets, pillows and hygiene kits. 

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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: 

• NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no, +47 905 62 329 

• Ahmed Bayram, Middle East and North Africa regional media advisor: ahmed.bayram@nrc.no, +962 790 160 147