UN official: 100,000 displaced as Israeli aggression on Lebanon continues

BEIRUT, March 07, (YPA) – A United Nations official said  that around 100,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Lebanon due to the continuing Israeli aggression, warning that the number is likely to rise following unprecedented evacuation warnings issued by the Israeli army urging residents to leave large areas across the country.

The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, told Reuters that the situation over the past two days has been unprecedented, both in terms of the scale of warnings and evacuation orders and the panic they triggered across the country.

“So far, around 100,000 people are staying in approximately 477 collective shelters, while about 57 shelters still have some remaining space, but the capacity is being exhausted very quickly,” he said.

Riza noted that widespread panic and confusion have spread among Lebanese residents following the Israeli evacuation warnings.

“People are moving in all directions and do not know where to go, and I believe the number will increase very rapidly,” he said, citing the example of a shelter in Beirut where the number of families rose from 90 to 150 in a single day.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that 123 people have been killed and 683 others injured as a result of the Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

Riza also noted that a number of healthcare workers have been killed and injured, calling for respect for international humanitarian law.

@E.Y.M