The new ceasefire announcement between Israel and Lebanon is desperately needed but will only improve the humanitarian crisis if it is fully adhered to and there is accountability for violations, Islamic Relief says.
The last ceasefire announcement in April brought some initial hope for civilians, but Israeli attacks and forced displacement orders have continued and the humanitarian crisis has worsened. Tens of thousands more people have been displaced by intensified bombing and expanding military action in the past few days alone. The bombing has targeted civilian infrastructure, including at least five attacks on health services in the past week and severe damage to power and water networks.
Up to 1.5 million people – around a quarter of Lebanon’s entire population – are now displaced from their homes, with over 150,000 people still stuck in overcrowded collective shelters without basic services.
Sana Basim, Islamic Relief’s head of programmes in Lebanon, said:
“It is vital that this latest ceasefire announcement brings genuine security for civilians, allows them to safely return to their homes, and ensures humanitarian aid can reach people.
“People were initially hopeful after the last ceasefire announcement, but since then the crisis has only got worse. Forced displacement orders have increased and spread further north. The bombing has continued and even ambulances and healthcare workers have been attacked. The shelters are desperately overcrowded, with people struggling to get water and food. Families have no privacy, increasing the risks to women and girls in particular. Fuel and food prices have rocketed. Vast areas of southern Lebanon and Nabatiah have become inaccessible to humanitarian workers as the bombing and military presence has expanded.
“Over 42,000 homes have been destroyed and many people who have tried to return to their villages have found their homes, water systems and electricity lines turned to rubble. People urgently need support to return and rebuild.”
Lebanon’s health system is under immense pressure. As well as attacks, hospitals and health clinics are struggling to stay open due to shortages of fuel and medical supplies, and many medical staff have been forced from their homes. Islamic Relief’s team in Lebanon reports that many health facilities in the south and east, where we have previously supplied medical equipment, are now closed.
Hunger is rising across the country as farmers have been forced to abandon their farms, food production has been bombed and disrupted, and the price of staple goods has become unaffordable for many families.
Islamic Relief is responding in collective shelters and in communities in Beirut, Mount Lebanon, Sidon, and the Bekka valley to distribute food, water, hygiene kits, and medical supplies to some of the most vulnerable people.
Notes
Across Lebanon at least 3,433 people have been killed and over 10,300 injured, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. Israeli authorities say at least two civilians have been killed in northern Israel.
WHO reports at least 190 attacks on healthcare since 2 March, killing at least 128 people and wounding over 330.
