The conflict that shakes Middle East opened a new humanitarian front in Lebanonneighboring nation of Israel with more than five million inhabitants. In a matter of days, about 700 thousand people left their homes in the face of the intensification of Israeli bombings against positions of the Shiite movement Hezbollahan armed group allied with Tehran.
The magnitude of the displacement (equivalent to the population of Mexican cities such as Keep o Acapulco) reflects the speed with which the war spread beyond Iran.
United Nations reported that at least 667 thousand people have already registered as displaced on the official platform of the Lebanese governmentwhile the country’s authorities raise the figure to 759 thousand.
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The population movement is one of the largest in the recent history of the small Mediterranean country. In proportional terms, about 12% of the total population has been displaced.
Israel claims its attacks seek to weaken Israel’s military infrastructure. Hezbollah,
Iranian-backed organization that has launched rockets into Israeli territory. In many cases, the Israeli military has issued evacuation warnings to civilians before bombing certain areas.
Lebanese government reports at least 486 dead
Still, the human cost is high. The Lebanese government reports at least 486 muertos y more than 1,300 injured since the start of the offensive, including 84 children.
For thousands of families, flight translates into an improvised life. More than 500 collective sheltersinstalled in schools, sports centers or public buildings, house some of the displaced, although only a minority manages to reach these spaces.
Most seek refuge in the homes of relatives or friends in cities less exposed to bombing. Others rent temporary apartments if they have the resources. But thousands of people have not had that option.
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In Beirutcity of 2.4 million inhabitantsentire families sleep in cars or on the sidewalks of the boardwalk. In improvised shelters there is a shortage of mattresses, water and food, according to international media reports.
The current episode was triggered when Hezbollah began launching rockets towards northern Israel after the death of the Iranian supreme leader, Ali Jamenei. Israel responded with an air campaign directed against the group’s facilities and strongholds in the south of the country, the east of the territory and in neighborhoods of Beirut where the movement maintains its presence.
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