Southern Lebanon faces escalating violence and mass displacement

Amid large-scale forced displacement orders, the deteriorating situation in Southern Lebanon is severely impacting people, and their access to healthcare 

“Despite the so-called ceasefire, we are currently witnessing an alarming situation in Southern Lebanon. There is ongoing Israeli military escalation expanding northwards, and large-scale forced displacement orders are impacting most of the south of the country.  

In recent days, our teams supporting local hospitals in Tyre (Sour) and Nabatiyeh have received successive waves of casualties amid a rapidly deteriorating security context. Hundreds of strikes have been reported in the areas where we work, 9 health workers have been killed, 48 injured, and 7 ambulances have been hit in just 10 days, according to the WHO. 

In the hospitals we support, civilians continue to arrive with severe injuries — including skull fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and shrapnel from drone explosions lodged in their lungs and liver. In some cases, entire families have been injured or killed. 

This worsening situation risks having further consequences on people’s access to healthcare. If medical teams, including MSF staff, are forced to suspend activities, communities will be left without life-saving care at a time when needs are critical. 

MSF reiterates its calls on Israeli authorities to guarantee the protection of civilians, medical and rescue personnel, and health facilities.” 

Jeremy Ristord –  MSF Head of Mission in Lebanon