GENEVA: UN officials reported on Friday that most of Lebanon’s nearly 900 government-established shelters are at full capacity, forcing many people fleeing Israeli military strikes to sleep outdoors in streets and public parks.
Rula Amin from the UN refugee agency stated during a Geneva press briefing that they are collaborating with local authorities to identify additional shelter sites, and some hotels are beginning to accommodate displaced individuals.
Mathieu Luciano, head of the International Organization for Migration’s office in Lebanon, confirmed that most shelters, including those in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, are full, though some still have available space. He expressed concern for the tens of thousands of domestic workers—primarily women—who are being “abandoned” by their employers, facing limited shelter options. Many of these workers hail from Egypt, Sudan, and Sri Lanka.
Lebanese authorities report that over 1.2 million people have been displaced, and nearly 2,000 have been killed since the outbreak of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, with most casualties occurring in the past two weeks.
On Friday, Israeli strikes closed Lebanon’s main border crossing with Syria, hindering vehicle passage. However, Amin noted that some individuals were managing to cross on foot. “We saw people walking, desperate to flee Lebanon, navigating through the destroyed road,” she said.
