Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries ‘terrible crisis’ in Lebanon

The head of the United Nations refugee agency arrived in Lebanon on Saturday on a “solidarity” visit for the hundreds of thousands of Lebanese affected by Israeli bombardment and needing international support.

UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi said on social network X that “Lebanon faces a terrible crisis” as “hundreds of thousands of people are left destitute or displaced by Israeli air strikes”.

“I have come here in solidarity with those affected, to support the humanitarian effort and to ask for more international help,” he said.

Also Saturday, UN humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon Imran Riza warned about the impact of the strikes on health care, as Israel hits what it says are Hezbollah targets.

“Throughout the past days we have been witnessing an alarming increase in attacks against health care” in Lebanon, Riza said in a statement on X.

“Health workers are paying the heaviest price with their lives. The health system is on the brink of collapsing,” he warned.

A day earlier, at least four hospitals in Lebanon announced the suspension of services amid ongoing Israeli bombardment.

Rescuers from the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee said 11 personnel were killed in Israeli raids in south Lebanon.

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South Lebanon’s Salah Ghandour Hospital, which is run by the Islamic Health Committee, said nine of its medical and nursing staff were wounded by strikes on Friday after it received an Israeli warning to evacuate.

The Israeli army said Saturday its air force “struck Hezbollah terrorists who were operating within a command center that was located inside a mosque adjacent to the Salah Ghandour Hospital”.

Israeli army Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee had warned Friday on X that “in recent days, we have observed the increasing use of rescue vehicles by Hezbollah members to transport operatives and equipment for fighting”.

“Hezbollah uses ambulances from the Islamic Health Committee for terrorist purposes”, he said, warning that “any vehicle proven to have an armed operative using it will be subjected to appropriate measures”.

On Thursday, Lebanon’s Health Minister Firass Abiad said 97 rescuers had been killed since Hezbollah and Israel began fighting in October, including more than 40 paramedics and firefighters killed by Israeli fire in just three days.

On Friday, the World Health Organization’s regional director Hanan Balkhy said on X that an airlift landed at Beirut airport with 30 tones of medical supplies. It was the first such shipment since the Israel-Hezbollah escalation began in late September.

Lebanon’s health ministry said Saturday it had received medical aid from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, as well as from the United Nations.