Amy Pope, Director of the International Organization for Migration, warned of the risk of Lebanon sliding into a prolonged displacement crisis, in light of the continuing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which has entered its second month. This conflict forced more than a million people to leave their homes and caused widespread destruction, in addition to Israeli threats of additional escalation.
Pope expressed her deep concern about the “very worrying” indicators indicating that displacement will continue for a long period, due to the massive scale of destruction and the threats to increase its severity. She noted that some areas in southern Lebanon are “completely razed to the ground,” which means that the effects of the war will continue even after it stops, and will require major reconstruction efforts, the provision of funding and resources, and most importantly, calm and stability.
She stressed that the lack of these factors will make the displaced unable to return to their homes for an indefinite period.
It is noteworthy that the circle of war expanded to include Lebanon on March 2, after “Hezbollah” launched missiles towards Israel in response to the “assassination of Iranian guide Ali Khamenei” on the first day of the “American-Israeli attack,” while Israel continues to launch intensive raids on Lebanon and carry out military operations in its south.
According to Lebanese authorities, the number of registered displaced people has exceeded one million, including more than 136,000 people residing in collective shelters.
In this context, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz stated that Israel intends to control the area south of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers from the border, warning that hundreds of thousands of residents will not be able to return before the security of northern Israel is guaranteed, and threatening to demolish homes in the border villages similar to what happened in “Rafah and Beit Hanoun” in Gaza.
Pope confirmed that the current displacement crisis is “much more serious” than the one Lebanon witnessed during the confrontation between 2023 and 2024, noting that the large numbers are putting pressure on shelter centers, while some of the displaced from the previous war are still unable to return to their homes.
She also indicated that the international community does not realize the extent of the worsening crisis in light of an “unprecedented scarcity of humanitarian resources,” at a time when the United Nations launched an urgent appeal for more than $300 million to support Lebanon, including about $19 million allocated to the International Organization for Migration, stressing that only a small portion of this funding has arrived so far.
She stressed the urgent need to provide the most basic forms of life-saving support, such as shelter and blankets.
It also revealed that an Israeli raid targeted the Jnah area in Beirut this week, causing damage to the organization’s headquarters, as windows were shattered and its health center became “practically unusable.”
The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that the raid led to the death of 7 people, while Israel announced that it targeted “a prominent Hezbollah leader.”
Since the beginning of the war, schools and playgrounds in Beirut and its suburbs have turned into temporary shelter centers, while some displaced people are sleeping in the open or inside tents, and others have sought refuge with their relatives or rented alternative housing, amid a significant increase in rental fees.
Hotels and residential buildings in Beirut and its suburbs have been bombed since the start of the war, including in densely populated areas far from Hezbollah sites, where displaced people are believed to be.
Pope described these strikes as “shocking,” warning that the lack of security will push residents to constantly move, and may lead to them crossing the border if there is no safe haven within the country.
