Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli air strike on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of Ramieh near the border with Israel, on Feb. 29, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border tensions as fighting continues between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. (Credit: Kawnat Haju/AFP)
More than 90,000 people have been forced to flee southern Lebanon and the daily Israeli fire and bombardment of the region, since clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli army began on Oct. 8, according to new figures from the International Organization for Migration, published in a new report on Feb. 29.
The report states that 91,288 inhabitants have been displaced, an increase of 2 percent since Feb. 20.
The overwhelming majority of the displaced are from the caza of Bint Jbeil, with 47,359, and Marjayoun, with 30,154. In third place, 9,818 people have been displaced from localities in the Sour district.
81 percent of the displaced have taken refuge in five district. The majority are now in the city of Sour, where 27,065 have been taken in, 16,027 in Nabatieh, 13,562 in Saida, 8,893 in the Baabda region (Mount Lebanon), and 7,115 in Beirut.
79 percent of the displaced have taken refuge with host families, while 19 percent are living in overcrowded conditions. 15 percent have rented accommodation, while 4 percent have relocated to their second home. 2 percent are scattered in 18 collective shelters in Sour, Hasbaya, Nabatieh, Rashaya and Saida.
The southern Lebanon front opened the day after the Palestinian movement Hamas launched a bloody attack on Israel. Since then, Hezbollah and other so-called "resistance" groups against Israel have stepped up their strikes, while Israel has been bombing the border area on a daily basis, and has even struck further inside Lebanon, most recently this week in the Baalbeck region. These strikes have killed 283 people in Lebanon, including 42 civilians, three journalists and 202 members of Hezbollah.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.
