“More than 100,000 have been officially registered, but many more — up to 250,000 — are estimated to be in formal and informal collective shelters,” Nasser Yassin, head of the Lebanon Crisis Observatory, told CNN on Saturday.
“We estimate four times as many have been directly affected and/or displaced outside the shelters,” Yassin, who serves as the country’s environment minister, added.
The Lebanese minister of health has also reported that the death toll since the Israel-Lebanon conflict began on October 8 of last year has risen to at least 1,640, with more than 8,408 people wounded.
The minister highlighted that many people remain trapped under the rubble, with missing people and dismembered bodies still being recovered.
Among those killed by Israeli strikes are 104 children and 194 women. Additionally, 41 health and ambulance workers have been killed and 111 others have been injured since the onset of the war.
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has reported widespread trauma among Lebanon’s displaced population, stemming from relentless bombardment and the uncertainty of ongoing Israeli raids.
Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, shared his concerns on X (formerly Twitter), urging the international community to ensure the “protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure” amid Israel’s continued airstrikes on Lebanon.
“We have opened seven shelters for the displaced, currently hosting 1,600 people, including Lebanese, Palestinians, and Syrians,” Lazzarini posted.
The recent attacks are part of the Israeli regime’s intensified assault on Lebanon, which has become more deadly in recent days.
