UNHCR increases support as people flee Lebanon for Syria

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency, increased on Wednesday support to help thousands of Syrians and Lebanese civilians leaving Lebanon due to ongoing Israeli airstrikes.

“This bloodshed is extracting a terrible toll, driving tens of thousands from their homes,” said Filippo Grandi, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah after the Israel-Hamas war that started on Oct. 7, 2023. Hezbollah has launched rockets, missiles, and drones into northern Israel. In retaliation, Israel has intensified its airstrikes and has killed key Hezbollah leaders, warning of a possible larger military operation.

Lebanese authorities report that over 27,000 people have been displaced in the past two days. As airstrikes continue, the death toll has risen to 558, with 1,835 injured.

“It is yet another ordeal for families who previously fled war in Syria only now to be bombed in the country where they sought shelter.”

The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that one Syrian was killed and another was injured as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the town of Qana in southern Lebanon.

The Ministry added that three other people were killed today due to Israeli shelling on the town of Ayta ash-Shab.

UNHCR said its teams, in collaboration with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, are present at border crossings to help new arrivals by providing essential items like food, water, blankets, and mattresses.

The Refugee Agency pointed out that the humanitarian situation in Syria remains serious due to the 2023 earthquake and ongoing conflict, which have severely damaged important infrastructure and left millions of people needing help.

Lebanon, which already hosts 1.5 million Syrian refugees, now faces an increasing strain as more people are forced to abandon their homes.

By Ster Youssef