The ongoing conflict in Lebanon is taking a devastating toll on innocent people, with massive casualties and widespread forced evacuations, United Nations officials reported Tuesday from Geneva.
“Displacement is increasing incredibly quickly. Right now, hundreds of thousands of people left their homes. Many leaving with very little, just the clothes they were wearing,” U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Imran Riza stated.
The violence erupted on March 2 when Hezbollah launched attacks against Israel, claiming the strikes were retaliation for the death of Iran’s supreme leader. Israeli forces have since launched a major military campaign that has resulted in over 800 deaths across Lebanon while displacing more than 800,000 residents from their communities.
Lebanese government data shows nearly 20 percent of the country’s population is now officially registered as displaced persons, with the U.N. warning that these numbers are expected to climb even higher.
