U.N. welcomes short Lebanon-Israel ceasefire, warns of mass displacement and severe funding shortfall
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Summary
The U.N. welcomed an announced 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel but warned that fighting and infrastructure damage have displaced roughly 1.2 million people in Lebanon, disrupted critical crossings to Gaza and left a flash appeal for Lebanon less than 0.25% funded.
Steph, the U.N. spokesperson, said the United Nations "welcomes steps that would end hostilities and suffering on both sides of the blue line" after announcements of a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel. She urged full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 and said U.N. political and peacekeeping missions stand ready to support efforts toward a lasting cessation of hostilities.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), cited by the spokesperson, reports about 1,200,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon following sweeping displacement orders covering roughly 15% of the country's territory. Fighting around Bin Jabal and a strike that damaged a key route to Tyre across the Litani River have cut off areas affecting more than 106,000 people and are restricting humanitarian access, the spokesperson said.
Attacks on health-care facilities are escalating humanitarian risk, the spokesperson added. She said damage to the emergency department at Temin Hospital and other strikes have contributed to "88 deaths and more than 200 injuries among health-care workers," describing such incidents as serious violations of international humanitarian law that undermine civilians' access to care.
On Gaza, the spokesperson said U.N. teams collected fuel, food, medical supplies and clothing via the operational crossings at Karim Shalom and Karim Abu Salam and, on some days, Zikim. She said cargo collection at crossings has been irregular — "we wish it was open every day" — and that restrictions on items deemed "dual use" continue to hinder mine-action and unexploded-ordnance disposal operations. Mine-action partners provided safety education to more than 12,000 people and reported over a dozen accidents injuring more than 30 people since January 1.
The briefing also flagged a critical funding gap. The flash appeal launched to support humanitarian operations in Lebanon aims to reach 1,000,000 people and requests $308,000,000; the spokesperson said the appeal is "less than a quarter percent funded," placing essential assistance at risk of being curtailed or suspended.
Reporters pressed for action and compliance with the ceasefire; the spokesperson repeatedly called on parties and armed groups to abide by the pause and to protect civilians and humanitarian workers. The briefing moved on to other global updates and a scheduled guest briefing on WFP's hunger-monitoring platform.
