UN expresses deep concern over increase of civilian death toll, displacement in Lebanon

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed deep concern over the increasing number of civilian deaths and rising displacement, amid escalating hostilities across the Blue Line separating Lebanon and the Israeli entity.The UN office explained in a statement that the number of civilian deaths increased over the past month by 20 percent, reaching 120 deaths since Oct. 2023, with nearly half being women and children.It pointed out that civilian infrastructure has been repeatedly targeted with United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reporting that more than 12 water stations had been damaged, with four now non-functional, affecting access to safe drinking water for more than 200,000 people.The office affirmed that it and its partners continue to scale up relief efforts, in support of the response led by the Lebanese government, as the World Health Organization (WHO) recently delivered 32 tons of trauma and emergency surgical kits, as well as medications.OCHA said displacement continues on both sides of the Blue Line, noting that Lebanon displacement has increased by nearly 4 percent since July 23, 2024, to a total of 102,000 people since October 2023."We again urge all parties to respect their international humanitarian law obligations, stressing that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected," OCHA said.The Israeli entity had escalated its aerial and artillery bombardment of towns and villages in southern Lebanon, which resulted in civilian deaths and injuries, forcing hundreds of families to flee their homes, coinciding with the continuation of the aggression on the Gaza Strip Oct. 7, 2023.