Israel has reportedly ordered the evacuation of several villages and a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon.
According to the UN agency, this is the first time the Israeli army has asked for the evacuation of Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. In addition, residents of the town of Baalbek have been ordered to leave their homes for the second time in two days.
OCHA said evacuation orders and airstrikes in Baalbek and surrounding areas on Wednesday forced the displacement of thousands of people and continued on Thursday.
Many of the victims spent the night in vehicles in difficult conditions in search of safety.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric briefed journalists in New York on the activities of the UN Mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose peacekeepers are present at their deployment sites and monitoring the situation.
According to the UN mission, fierce clashes broke out between the Israeli military and Hezbollah. Israel launched strikes in southern Lebanon, Baalbek and the capital Beirut, while Hezbollah rocket attacks killed five in northern Israel.
UNIFIL peacekeepers patrol the Blue Line, the line that separates Lebanon and Israel. On Wednesday, an explosion damaged an installation site of the UN mission.
Expressing concern over the escalation of the fighting, the UN spokesman reiterated his appeal for respect for UN premises and peacekeepers and said the fighting must stop.
Profound impact on children
Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Catherine Russell, has warned that children are suffering physically and psychologically in the ongoing fighting in Lebanon.
According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, as of October 2023, 166 children have died, 1,168 have been injured, and the number continues to rise.
At least one child has died and 10 have been injured every day since October 4 this year. People who somehow survived the prolonged bombardment are now under severe stress due to the violence and unrest around them.
The UNICEF chief said his agency was helping thousands of children and aid workers on the ground, but the situation could only be overcome if the violence stopped.
Concerns for pregnant women
The UN team in Lebanon reported that thousands of pregnant women in the war-torn region face challenges and struggle with childbirth and its complications.
The UN Agency for Sexual and Reproductive Health (UNFPA) said more than 11,500 pregnant women were affected by the bombing.
Many of these displaced women have taken refuge in shelters, depleted of savings and with no means of accessing medical assistance. About 1,300 women are likely to give birth in November.
The UN agency says many women have been away from home for the past year and have had no contact with gynecologists.
The UNFPA team is coordinating efforts with Lebanese health authorities to support pregnant women by increasing the number of midwives and distributing women’s dignity kits to shelters.