UNHCR says ‘very desperate’ situation on Syria-Lebanon border

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said that the ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon have left a “very desperate situation” at the border with Syria.

“Over 71 per cent of those using the border crossings from Lebanon are Syrians,” said the UN body on X yesterday. “Many tell us that they sold the little they had to afford the journey back home. The UNHCR is helping, but the needs are huge and more funding is needed.”

Israel expanded its cross-border exchanges of fire with Hezbollah on 23 September with attacks across Lebanon, including the capital, Beirut. Apart from air strikes, it has also launched a ground invasion in the south of Lebanon.

At least 3,002 Lebanese citizens have been killed by the occupation state, with almost 13,500 wounded, including a large number of children and women. Moreover, around 1.4 million people have been displaced, according to Anadolu news agency’s monitoring of the latest official Lebanese data.

Hezbollah responds daily by launching missiles, drones and artillery shells at Israeli military sites, settlements and armed forces trying to infiltrate southern Lebanon. While Israel announces some of its human and material losses, military censorship has imposed a strict blackout on most data, say observers.

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