Beirut
\nIsraeli strikes have killed more than 100 children in Lebanon since the latest escalation between Israel and Hezbollah began, Lebanon\u2019s Health Ministry said Friday, as the overall death toll rose to 773 amid growing concern over civilian casualties.
\nIt says a total of 773 people have been killed during the latest conflict. Sixty-two women are among those killed, and over 1,900 people have been wounded, according to the ministry.
\nThe U.N.\u2019s children\u2019s agency UNICEF also said the situation for millions of children in Lebanon is catastrophic. \u201cChildren must be protected under all circumstances,\u201d emphasized Christian Schneider, executive director of UNICEF Germany, in a report.
\nEarlier, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said that Lebanon is nearing a breaking point as mass displacement accelerates, with humanitarian groups warning that the scale of the crisis is growing by the hour.
\nAt least 816,000 people – around 14% of the population – have been displaced in the first 10 days of the escalation, according to official figures cited by NRC.
\nThe number is expected to rise further as Israel continues issuing evacuation warnings and carrying out airstrikes across multiple areas of the country.
\n\u201cThe scale of destruction and displacement is increasing with every passing hour,\u201d said Maureen Philippon, the NRC\u2019s country director in Lebanon.
\nShe said families in shelters are experiencing repeated trauma, with many reliving cycles of bombing, loss and displacement similar to those they endured during previous rounds of fighting.
\nIsrael\u2019s evacuation orders now cover about 1,470 square kilometers, or roughly 14% of Lebanon\u2019s territory, including parts of southern Lebanon, Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs and the Bekaa Valley.
\nAdditional warnings issued recently have expanded the number of villages under threat, prompting further movement of civilians.
\nHumanitarian organizations say conditions in shelters are deteriorating as the number of displaced grows.
\nMore than 122,000 people are currently staying in collective shelters, many of them overcrowded. In one shool hosting around 1,200 people, an average of 15 people share each classroom, while about 23 people rely on a single toilet.
\nWater supplies are limited and many shelters lack showers and cooking facilities.
\nThe violence has disrupted the education of around 1 million children.
\nLebanon was already struggling with a severe economic crisis and weakened public services, leaving humanitarian agencies warning that the country has limited capacity to absorb a rapidly expanding displacement crisis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Beirut Israeli strikes have killed more than 100 children in Lebanon since the latest escalation between Israel and Hezbollah began, Lebanon\u2019s Health Ministry said Friday, as the overall death toll rose to 773 amid growing concern over civilian casualties. It says a total of 773 people have been killed during the latest conflict. Sixty-two women […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":536710,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-536681","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n