UN: 420,000 people have crossed from Lebanon into Syria
The spokesperson for the UN Human Rights office, Ravina Shamdasani, confirmed that more than 420000 people, including more than 310,000 Syrian and 110,000 Lebanese citizens have fled from Lebanon to Syria due to Israeli escalation in Lebanon.
Shamdasani said in the weekly press conference in Geneva that “the humanitarian situation for civilians in Lebanon, Gaza, Israel, and Syria is getting worse.”
Shamdasani made it clear that Beirut has become a target for the Israeli airstrikes, therefore hundreds of people have been killed and more than a million of people have fled throughout the country.
Shamdasani stated that “The Lebanese Hezbollah and other armed groups continue to fire missiles on Israel causing casualties in northern Israel.
Shamdasani pointed out that the Lebanese health ministry documented the killing of 22 people and injuring more than 100 others due to the recent Israeli bombardment that targeted the central of Beirut.
Shamdasani noted that the large part of displaced people in Lebanon have crossed into Syria, where more than 420,000 people crossed the border between September 23 and October 9.
Shamdasani stressed the need for the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) not to be targeted by Israel, noting that Israel bears the main responsibility for protecting them.
While the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, renewed his call on all parties to commit to protect civilians and vital infrastructure, stressing that the Lebanese people bear the burden of the ongoing conflict.
