Lebanese and Syrians suffer loss and displacement amid surging attacks

Since a deadly escalation of the conflict in Lebanon began just over a week ago, the Government estimates that more than 1 million people have already been forced to flee their homes - the worst displacement in decades.

The attacks are the most intense since 2006, with Israeli airstrikes hitting dozens of towns across the country, including South Lebanon, Bekaa and Beirut's southern suburbs. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands more wounded during the last nine days of attacks while the streets of Beirut, the capital, are filled with people trying to find somewhere to safely shelter with their families.

Ali Trad, a Lebanese man from the town of Maarakeh in Southern Lebanon's Tyre district, was helping his neighbour to pack up and flee when an air raid started. He picked up his grandson and fled, leaving all his belongings behind. It took them 18 hours to reach Beirut - a journey that would normally take an hour and a half by car, during which he witnessed scenes of suffering as cars overheated in the traffic and people searched for lost children. "It was very, very difficult … it was indescribable," he said.

"All the concern and fear I have is over his safety," he added, gesturing to the boy in his arms. "Thank God we were able to flee."

© UNHCR

The dramatic escalation in hostilities comes on top of a series of crises that have hit Lebanon in recent years, including the Beirut port blast in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and a prolonged economic crisis that has pushed 44 per cent of the population into poverty. Lebanon is also home to around 1.5 million Syrian refugees, many of whom are now being forced to flee again.

Hameeda Al Mohammad, who came to Lebanon from Syria a decade ago, fled the bombings in the south with her three daughters and arrived in Beirut last week. They spent their first night in the city sleeping in the open after being turned away from several schools serving as shelters that were already full.

"Whenever we asked about schools or a place to stay, we were told it was not possible, until we reached this school where they said they have the space for me and my kids," she said. "I did not pack anything, just the clothes me and the children are wearing."

"It reminds me a lot of the war in Syria," she added. "We lived that period with difficulty, and now it is even harder."

The situation at the border with Syria is also chaotic, with vehicles backed up in queues and large crowds of people waiting in line to be processed. At least 130,000 people are estimated to have crossed into Syria since 23 September, about 60 per cent of them Syrians and the rest Lebanese and other nationalities.

Wahiba left the home in southern Beirut she shares with her son, daughter-in-law and grandson when the attacks intensified. They spent three days waiting at the border and sleeping outside before they crossed back into the country they had fled years before.

"I cried when I left the house. I cried for us, and I cry for the situation we've ended up in," she said. "We left our country because of the war, in search of safety, but there is no safety."

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is present at four border crossing points, along with local authorities and the Syrian Red Crescent, providing food, water, blankets and mattresses to new arrivals.

Inside Lebanon, the agency is supporting the Lebanese government's response efforts by distributing emergency items, such as blankets and mattresses, providing legal and social protection services, and conducting shelter improvements. UNHCR has also been supporting those displaced with cash assistance.

With the number of displaced likely to rise further, there is an urgent need for more funding to respond to the fast-growing demand for more shelters, relief items, health care, cash assistance and protection services. On 1 October, the Lebanese government and humanitarian agencies, including UNHCR, launched a funding appeal for $425 million to assist 1 million people affected by the crisis over the next three months.

• See also: UNHCR steps up to support displaced from Lebanon crossing into Syria