Over 30,000 feople flee to Syria from Lebanon amid escalating conflict

More than 30,000 people, primarily Syrian nationals, have fled to Syria from Lebanon in the past 72 hours due to the intensifying conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The escalating violence has displaced over 90,000 people since September 23, with around 80 percent of those fleeing being Syrians, while the remaining 20 percent are Lebanese, said Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, UNHCR’s representative in Syria.

The exodus comes as Lebanon grapples with the devastation caused by ongoing Israeli airstrikes, which have killed more than 1300 people and injured over 7,000, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.

Lebanon has been hosting 1.5 million Syrian refugees, many of whom are now making the difficult decision to return to a country still in crisis after 13 years of conflict.

UNHCR warns that the Middle East is on the brink of a new displacement crisis, urging for solutions that do not force people to leave their homes.