The charity „Caritas Lebanon“ reports that Lebanon is witnessing devastating humanitarian consequences following the latest escalation of hostilities, Aleteia.org reported.
As the war in the Middle East spreads, the violence is directly affecting several countries, with Lebanon experiencing immediate humanitarian consequences. Lebanon is the country with the second highest percentage of Christians in the Middle East, with the Christian population estimated at around 40%.
In the early hours of March 2, gunfire erupted along the Lebanese-Israeli border, followed by extensive Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon. Within hours, dozens were killed. More than 32,000 people were displaced across the country, 56 villages were evacuated, and 221 airstrikes were recorded in the first days of the Israeli-US war against Iran.
Amidst this turmoil, “Caritas Lebanon“ declared a state of emergency and activated its emergency response team. The organization is coordinating with national authorities, mobilizing volunteers and expanding its activities.
“In Lebanon, this escalation has had immediate and devastating humanitarian consequences. Our mobile medical clinics have been deployed in southern Lebanon, providing medical consultations and essential medicines to affected families. Global solidarity is essential now to help us maintain and scale up this life-saving response for the most vulnerable,“ the organization announced.
“Caritas Lebanon“ is preparing to scale up its response in the event of a prolonged conflict and is urgently appealing for support as national and international aid response mechanisms are already overwhelmed.
The far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich yesterday threatened the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut, a stronghold of the pro-Iranian Shiite movement "Hezbollah", with destruction like that in the Gaza Strip, Agence France-Presse reported.
"Very soon Dahiyeh (the southern suburb of Beirut, AFP note) will look like Khan Younis", Smotrich said on the Telegram communication app, referring to the large city in the southern Gaza Strip that was devastated in the war that began with the "Hamas" attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The Israeli army, which is fighting "Hezbollah" in Lebanon, called on residents of the southern suburb of Beirut "immediately" to evacuate in order to survive.