The escalating conflict in Gaza that started on the 7th of October has impacted the whole Middle East region, with cross-border incidents into Lebanon. Daily clashes have been reported over the Blue Line, the demarcation line on Lebanon’s southern border since 8th of October.
As of 18 April, 92,621 individuals (51% females) have been displaced from south Lebanon due to the ongoing hostilities along the Blue Line. The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has reported a total of 340 killed and 1,324 people wounded. It is estimated that at least 60,000 persons have remained in border villages and are highly affected by exchanges of fire while having lost livelihoods and income. The socio-economic frailty of communities, especially those in difficult-to-access locations dependent on agriculture, has intensified due to the continued hostilities. As the situation deteriorates, the ability of those lacking social protection (refugees, women and girls, PwD) to ensure the dignity will decline, increasing dependence on service providers, exposing them to exploitation and abuse.
Satellite images reveal that fires ignited by shelling, the usage of white phosphorous and flare bombs used have ravaged 790 hectares of land in southern Lebanon, estimated to have killed more than 50,000 olive trees. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that 63% of farmers have had difficulty accessing their fields safely, while 26% have had to leave their agricultural lands altogether due to displacement. Moreover, 23% of farmers have seen a reduction in their crop yields. Transportation of agricultural goods also presents a challenge for 85% of farming households.
ACT Lebanon Forum members Christian Aid, DanChurchAid, DSPR- JCC, Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) are responding to this conflict with an appeal to raise USD 1.5M USD for responding to the urgent needs with special focus on people who have been directly affected by the current conflict in the South of Lebanon.
