UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric has said that the number of men, women and children registered as displaced in Lebanon has now reached 1.1 million, close to one-fifth of the country’s population, reports Al Jazeera.
About 137,000 of those people are living in shelters, Dujarric told reporters on Monday, while “most displaced people are dispersed across host communities or informal settings, often with very limited access to the most basic services.”
The victims of Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Lebanon have been overwhelmingly from the Shia Muslim community, including many who are not fighters of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. On Sunday, the victims also included Christians, as well as Sudanese in a different attack, as Lebanon experienced one of its most brutal days since widespread Israeli attacks started in early March amid the US-Israel war on Iran.
Overall, Israeli attacks have killed some 1,500 people, including 130 children, in Lebanon, while more than 1.1 million have been forced from their homes.
As the attacks expand, so too do the fissures in Lebanese society. The country is becoming increasingly divided between those who blame Israel for relentlessly attacking Lebanon since October 2023, and those who blame Hezbollah for drawing Israeli wrath.
The latter have often taken out their anger on members of the internally displaced community. Many displaced people have said they are being discriminated against, regardless of whether they support Hezbollah.
Bd-pratidin English/TR
