NEW YORK: “Massive numbers” of people are being displaced in Lebanon, a top UNHCR official has told Arab News, appealing for the international community to overcome its crisis fatigue and respond to the conflict.
It came as Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister warned on Sunday that up to 1 million people may have been displaced within the country.
Raouf Mazou, UNHCR assistant high commissioner for operations, was speaking in New York City on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly.
He warned that a “massive increase in displacement” was taking place in Lebanon, compounding woes for the UN’s refugee body, which is battling crises in some of the world’s most impoverished and conflict-ridden countries.
Two UNHCR workers were killed earlier this week in Lebanon as Israel stepped up its aerial campaign against Hezbollah, striking into the heart of Beirut.
Dina Darwiche, from the UNHCR’s Bekaa office in the country’s east, was killed alongside her youngest son as an Israeli missile struck her home on Monday.
Ali Basma, who worked with the UNHCR’s Tyre office in the south, was also confirmed dead on Monday.
“On our colleagues, it’s the drama of the context where civilian populations are the victims of indiscriminate bombing, indiscriminate airstrikes — this is what we’re observing,” Mazou told Arab News.
“They were not at work at the time when it happened. They were living their normal lives. But it reminds us of how civilians are exposed. In addition to that, we also have situations where colleagues in the course of their duty are targeted or find themselves killed
“And that’s another concern that we have. Humanitarian workers being exposed to danger as they are performing their functions.
“In this specific case it wasn’t — they were not at work — but still, this is something that, to us, of course, is extremely concerning.”
The escalation in Lebanon is “not something the world needs right now,” Mazou added, warning that “massive numbers” of people are being displaced within the country, on top of the 80,000 who fled to neighboring Syria in the past week, according to the Lebanese government.
In response to the conflict, the UNHCR is executing its contingency plans and beginning distribution of pre-positioned aid.
The body will also “strengthen its presence” to protect the most vulnerable, Mazou said.
As part of its response, the UNHCR is also launching a humanitarian appeal for support from the international community, he added.
But with conflicts in the region already raging in Sudan, Gaza, Syria and Yemen and Gaza, there is a “difficulty” in mobilizing resources, the assistant high commissioner said.
“We have core relief items already pre-positioned in the region which we can give fairly fast. We have the presence of colleagues. The presence of of colleagues is absolutely essential. There are many other items that are necessary and which we will provide,” he added.
“We are now coming up with an appeal that we are going to issue, to ask for support from the international community. But that is happening at a time when it is already difficult to mobilize resources. There are many other crises around the world, so it’s already difficult. And now we have another crisis added to the to the existing one.
“So, we’re very worried. We hope we will be able to mobilize, but we are really appealing to the international community to provide the resources that are required.”
For Mazou, the proliferation of conflict has not only tested the logistical strength of the UNHCR, but has also “numbed” the global community to human suffering.
“We all become numb. There’s a new conflict, there’s a new crisis — we simply do not have the normal reaction of outrage that we should normally have,” he said.
The result is that many of the countries receiving refugees — often already impoverished and unstable — are unable to provide protection and support.
On the ground, this means a greater risk of famine, sexual violence against women and children losing access to education, Mazou warned.
“So, we continue to appeal to make sure that the needs of all refugees around the world are responded to and that we are in the position of mobilizing for all countries around the world and not just one crisis.”
