UN News Today 30 September 2024 |

Lebanon crisis: over one million people flee deadly escalation

More than one million people across Lebanon have been uprooted by ongoing and deadly Israeli airstrikes across the country, including one reported early on Monday morning in a residential area of central Beirut, adding to fears of a full-scale invasion.

Among the victims of the weekend bombardment was six-year-old Selena al Smarah, killed along with her parents at home in the southern city of Tyre on Saturday. Her sister Celine, 10, survived but sustained injuries in the attack.

Some 100,000 of Lebanon’s displaced have reached neighbouring Syria, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

“The outflow continues,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, in a tweet, accompanied by a picture of hundreds of people squeezed together at a Syrian-Lebanese border crossing.

Humanitarian relief is being provided by the refugee agency, UNHCR and other UN agencies including UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees, which has opened nine shelters so far. Here’s Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon Dorothee Klaus:

“UNWRA Lebanon has been responding to the emergency in the country by sheltering an increasing number of displaced persons. To date, we have nine shelters operating, hosting just under 4,000 persons. Numbers continue increasing, we are making preparations to open up additional shelters…we’re hosting Palestinian refugees alongside Syrian refugees and Lebanese displaced based on humanitarian principles.”

The UN aid coordinating office, OCHA, said that 90 per cent of the one million people displaced so far fled their homes in just the last week.

Condemnation for Ukraine hospital attack: OCHA

To Ukraine, where UN humanitarians have condemned Russian attacks on Sumy city in the northeast of the country over the weekend that damaged a hospital.

Matthias Schmale, the top UN aid official in Ukraine, said that the Russian military strikes killed and injured several people. He insisted that health centres must not be targeted.

His comments came amid continuing violence on Monday including a drone attack on Kyiv and protective air defence manoeuvres launched in response, according to the Ukraine military.

Outside the capital, media indicated explosions as Russia launched drone and guided bombs attack on Zaporizhzhia that damaged railways and buildings, while in Russia, Ukrainian armed forces reportedly shelled the Belgorod region.

Algerian court urged to reverse ‘abusive sentence’ against poet

To Algeria, where the authorities face a call by top independent human rights experts to reverse a prison sentence handed down to a poet for supporting widespread protests against the Government.

Djamila Bentouis received a two-year prison sentence and a 100,000 Algerian dinars fine (worth around $750) for participating in the Hirak social protest movement via her songs and poetry recitals. Initial charges levelled against Ms. Bentouis accused her of belonging to a terrorist entity.

The Hirak demonstrations began in February 2019 – initially against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika – but evolved into demands for political reforms and other freedoms.

The independent experts who include Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, said that the criminal charges against Ms. Bentouis appeared “directly linked” to her wish to exercise her right to freedom of expression.

The experts – who are not UN staff – also expressed their hope that Algeria “will abide by its international obligations to guarantee the right to freedom of expression” when the appeals court considers the case on Wednesday.

Daniel Johnson, UN News

Music composed and produced by Joachim Harris. All rights reserved.