472,000 Refugees Flee Lebanon to Syria Due to Rising Israel-Hezbollah Tensions
Roughly 472,000 people have fled from Lebanon to Syria since September due to the escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, according to a report published by the UN’s refugee agency.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said this influx includes around 32,800 Lebanese and 216,000 Syrians who had previously sought refuge in Lebanon during Syria’s civil war.
The report estimates that since September 23, “around 71 percent are Syrians and 29 percent are Lebanese nationals,” while children, individuals with special needs, and those with chronic illnesses make up 60 percent of those displaced.
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Lebanon hosted roughly 1.5 million Syrian refugees as of Sept. 25, the UNHCR said, which, compared to Lebanon’s relatively small population of only 5.3 million, posed a massive humanitarian challenge for the country’s already struggling economy.
Many of the refugees are from southern Lebanon, which has experienced much of the fighting since Israel and Hezbollah began trading cross-border strikes in October of last year. Israel launched a limited ground invasion across the border supported by heavy airstrikes and more extensive aerial bombardment, creating a far larger displacement crisis.
The report indicates that Syrian authorities are permitting easy passage across the border and that UNHCR personnel are at “all four major border crossing points…alongside other UN partners, as well as national and international NGOs to support those who cross.”
However, Israeli airstrikes have reportedly damaged key crossings, forcing many refugees to enter Syria on foot, the report adds.
