The escalating war in the Middle East has heightened growing concerns about further civilian suffering and displacement in the region and far beyond, UN agencies said on Friday.
Violence across the Middle East is continuing as military strikes and counter-strikes are reported in several countries across the region, raising fears of wider instability and worsening humanitarian conditions. UN agencies warn the crisis is affecting at least 16 countries, with civilian casualties, displacement and damage to vital infrastructure increasing. Follow our live coverage for updates and reaction from across the United Nations system. app users can followhere.
On day six of the war in the Middle East, there's been no let-up in bombs, drones and rockets targeting Iran, Israel, Lebanon and many Gulf States, while NATO forces reportedly intercepted a missile fired at Trkiye by Iran, a claim denied by Tehran. We'll bring you the latest from the United Nations and our partners at headquarters and in the field. app users can follow the coveragehere.
Seven days since Israeli and US bombing in Iran prompted ongoing counter-strikes across the Middle East, humanitarians confirmed massive upheaval in Lebanon, with hundreds of shelters now full, aswhole suburbs of Beirut have emptied.
Israel's military ground incursions into southern Lebanon, blanket displacement orders for the population in Beiruts southern suburbs, the Bekka region and the full area to the south of the Latani River, and its continued airstrikes on different parts of the country arebringing more misery, more suffering to an already weary civilian population, said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN human rights office,OHCHR.
Israeli strikes intensify in Lebanon
From the UN migration agency,IOM, Chief of Mission Lebanon Mathieu Luciano described the dramatic deterioration in the country on Thursday evening as the Israeli army carried out multiple air strikes on the southern suburb of Beirut overnight.
He added that many collective shelters are at full capacity, especially in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, so, people are just redirected to other shelters, especially in the north, in Al Qaa, in safe places in the Bekka as well.
The UN refugee agency,UNHCR, has declared the escalating crisis a major humanitarian emergency requiring an immediate regional response.
UNHCR Director for Emergencies Ayaki Ito told journalists in Geneva thattheconflict is triggering significant population movements across the regionand into Southwest Asia.
Nearly 25 million people in the affected areas are already refugees, internally displaced or recent returnees, placing additional strain on fragile host countries.
Hormuz bottleneck
The major commercial shipping crisis caused by the war which has practically halted all vessel movement in the Strait of Hormuz south of Iran is already impacting UN agencies and partners seeking to dispatch lifesaving relief to Gaza and Sudan, among other emergencies.
The narrow channel carries nearly one-fifth of global oil along with large volumes of commercial goods.
All traffic via sea has significantly slowed down, said Anne Schaefer, IOM Deputy Director for humanitarian response and recovery. This is the case in Port Sudan, but also in other ports of the continent.
Gaza aid constricted
For Gaza, shelter items, tarps, tents and lampsare all stuck in different stages, unable to now arrive, she said, before warning of a significant deterioration of the supply chain very, very quickly.
The impact on relief missions to Sudan is also of particular concern as the humanitarian situation is deteriorating very, very quickly, the IOM official continued.
And of course, the rainy season is just around the corner, coming up, so, if we do not get the supplies in the next six weeks to eight weeks, it's going to be very, very difficult to reach populations, especially in Darfur.
Echoing those concerns, the UN health agencys Dr. Hanan Balkhy, Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, confirmed that much-needed supplies are not transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. But she noted that flights were now resuming from Dubai, which is a major logistics hub for the entire humanitarian system.
Emergency healthcare stymied
We have more than 50 emergency supply requests across 25 countries that have been affected by that current pause, Dr. Balkhy noted, including Lebanon, Yemen and Somalia.
Back in Geneva, OHCHRs Ms. Shamdasani highlighted the plight of people in Afghanistan, where a reported 66,000 people have been displaced there as a result of the latest fighting with Pakistan.
In Pakistan as well, shelling and other fire has forced people to flee their homes and civilians on both sides of this border are now having to flee from airstrikes, heavy artillery fire, mortar shelling and gunfire, she said.
