GENEVA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Friday that more than 1 million people in Lebanon have been forced to flee their homes since the escalation of the Lebanon-Israel conflict on March 2, warning of "a deepening humanitarian crisis."
In a statement, UNHCR said the displaced now account for roughly one in five residents of the country.
"Displacement now stretches from the south and the Bekaa to Beirut and the north, and numbers continue to rise," said UNHCR.
The agency noted that even in displacement, people no longer feel safe. It noted that Israeli strikes last week hit central Beirut, including densely populated neighborhoods, and that one strike landed "just a block away from a school sheltering displaced families."
It added that the continued attacks have left civilians living in constant fear, with the psychological toll, particularly on children, expected to "last far beyond the current conflict."
The agency said that access to safety is becoming "increasingly difficult." It noted that the destruction of key bridges in southern Lebanon has cut off entire districts, "isolating over 150,000 people and severely limiting humanitarian access." ■
