Lebanon crisis: Disabled and older people are the hardest hit by the escalation of violence

Press Release | London, 26th September 2024, 15:00 GMT

The escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah had already forced 110,000 people to flee the conflict zones in Lebanon. Since Monday, a further 90,000 people have been displaced with more expected to flee over the coming days.
Among the displaced, those who have been wounded, older people with reduced mobility and people with disabilities are worst-affected by the current situation.
Humanity & Inclusion (HI) and its partners in Lebanon have been supporting displaced people since October 2023. Half of the 86 members of HI’s team in Lebanon have themselves been forced to flee the recent violence.
HI’s teams are working to provide mobility aids, rehabilitation care and the necessary psychological support to disabled, older and injured people impacted by the escalation of violence.
HI has launched a Lebanon crisis appeal to support its vital emergency response.

Humanity & Inclusion (HI) is appalled by the rapid escalation of violence in Lebanon and continued airstrikes by the Israeli military across Lebanon’s south, Bekaa valley, northern areas of Hermel, as well as parts of Beirut. Lebanese authorities report widespread panic and mass exodus from affected areas, with key roads being blocked as people are trying to find safety elsewhere in Lebanon.

“Since Monday 23 September, southern Lebanon, the Bekaa plain, Mount Lebanon and Beirut have been the target of continuous airstrikes by the Israeli army. Half of the 86 members of Humanity & Inclusion's team in Lebanon have been forced to flee the violence and are now looking for temporary accommodation. We are supporting them as best we can,” says Aurélien Thienpont, HI Country Director for Lebanon.

Ali Mehyeddin, HI Explosive Ordnance Risk Education Team Leader in Lebanon had to flee the violence with his family: “On Monday, we left our home in southern Lebanon and have taken shelter in Beirut, where my wife's family left their house for us. We are now safe, I believe, but Monday was truly the scariest day of my life. My wife, our two children, and I left our house, witnessing bombs dropping near both our home and my parents' house. I thought they were dead, but thankfully, they are safe and with us here in Beirut. It took us 6 hours to reach our new place, though it’s normally a 1-hour trip. The road was packed, jammed with people panicking, crying, and fleeing the bombing. I have never experienced anything like that. The villages along the way were being bombed, and all the cars stopped, waiting for the shelling to calm down. When it did, we all hurried back to our cars to continue the journey. We are safe now, but I cannot sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see the bombing."

HI’s teams provide assistance to those most vulnerable and affected by multiple crises in Lebanon.

“HI’s priority is humanitarian action. We are reorganising and maintaining the delivery of emergency aid to those in need. We work in the Bekaa valley, Mount Lebanon, Beirut and southern Lebanon, the areas hardest hit since October 2023 and the escalation of violence between Israel and Hezbollah. The conflict had already forced 110,000 people to flee the conflict zones in the south and we estimate that since Monday, a further 90,000 people have been displaced, this time across the whole of Lebanon as the conflict is now affecting the entire country. We expect these movements to escalate over the coming days.”

“HI and its partners have been supporting displaced people since October 2023. We are currently working to identify emergency needs in the newly affected areas and adapt our interventions accordingly. Among the displaced, older people - often with reduced mobility - disabled people, and those who have been wounded are the worst affected by the current situation. Providing them with mobility aids, rehabilitation care and the necessary psychological support is one of our priority interventions” adds Thienpont.

Humanity & Inclusion calls on all parties to immediately cease all hostilities in the region, to allow for immediate and unconditional assistance to the affected communities and to prevent further deterioration of the situation. Furthermore, an immediate ceasefire in the occupied Palestinian territories, unimpeded humanitarian access and the release of hostages and prisoners is needed to de-escalate. Forging an immediate, unconditional, and definitive ceasefire is the only way to end the suffering of civilians and save lives across the region. There must be a timely and transparent process to ensure unconditional adherence to international humanitarian law by all parties, and a call for accountability for violations and justice to ensure an end to the cycles of violence.

Notes

Spokespeople in Lebanon available for interview

Before October 2023, 3.2 million people in Lebanon were in need of humanitarian assistance, including 1.5 million Syrian refugees and 200,000 Palestinian refugees according to OCHA. The instability since October 7th, the continuation of hostilities in border areas, the challenging socioeconomic situation, and reduced humanitarian funding have impacted all residents across Lebanon, who were already facing a dire humanitarian situation.

In addition, Israeli strikes have particularly impacted water infrastructure, healthcare centres, and educational facilities. Previous calculations by UNOCHA estimated that damages in southern Lebanon stand at $1.7 billion, however, the cost is increasing daily. At the same time, humanitarian funding remains critically low, with sectors like food security under the response funded at only 5%, despite the country's acute needs. The hardest hit are the most marginalised and vulnerable, particularly persons with disabilities, older people, internally displaced persons, refugees, and host communities.

HI’s activities in Lebanon:

HI provides assistance to those most vulnerable and affected by multiple crises in Lebanon. Since October 2023 and in addition to regular programming, HI has been working to enhance the preparedness of health facilities for mass-casualty intake by enhancing both capacities of medical staff and increasing stocks of medical equipment. HI also provided additional support for people living in displacement, with a particular focus on addressing the urgent needs of persons with disabilities and their caregivers. Should the hostilities continue, and the crisis become prolonged, humanitarian needs are going to increase drastically and deployment of a massive emergency response will likely be needed along with long-term, continued support for the affected communities, all amidst the dwindling funding for Lebanon that is already insufficient to cover the basic needs.