Since the start of the Israeli army’s bombing campaign on Monday, 90,000 people have been forced to leave their homes, according to the UN. NGOs on the ground are trying to help these people.
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The number of displaced people is increasing sharply in Lebanon, following the launch of the Israeli army’s bombing campaign. According to the UN, 90,000 people have had to leave their homes since Monday, September 23. This is in addition to the number of displaced people since October 7. NGOs are stepping up their actions, but it is sometimes difficult and they need financial support to scale up their aid.
In the city of Saida, 60 kilometers from the border with Israel, refugees live on roundabouts or on the beach. There are not enough mattresses for everyone and the bombings remain close, explains Kevin Charbel. He is head of mission for Première Urgency Internationale. He took the road to Saida on Wednesday morning, September 25.
“Halfway there, I pass a large warehouse that was bombed at one in the morning. And on the way back, in Saida, there is clearly quite intense tension. You can hear the bombing all the time.”
“Every fifteen or twenty minutes, we hear bombings.”
Kevin Charbel, from Première Urgente Internationaleto franceinfo
So far, the authorities have opened 300 schools and gymnasiums for the displaced. Often, it is the poorest who end up there. “Many have slept one or two nights in the car, we see a level of massive need,” he describes Daniele Regazzi, country director for Solidarités International in Lebanon.
Several NGOs have also launched emergency collections to try to cope, explains Cyril Bassil, spokesperson in Beirut for Care. “We are really mobilizing as many resources as possible to help as many people as possible. Because these are people who are giving up everything in the space of a few seconds.”
For its part, Action Against Hunger fears that this Israeli military campaign will further increase food insecurity in Lebanon caused by the economic crisis.