Lebanon still in deep humanitarian crisis a year after Israeli war: Doctors Without Borders

By Wassim Samih Seifeddine and Tarek Chouiref

BEIRUT, Lebanon /ISTANBUL (AA) – Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned Monday that Lebanon is still gripped by a severe humanitarian crisis one year after Israel’s war, with continuing cross-border attacks and ceasefire violations keeping tens of thousands from returning home.

The group said Israeli strikes and military positions along the border are blocking the safe return of displaced families and undermining access to basic services.

“More than 82,000 people remain displaced, while thousands of families are struggling to access healthcare and rebuild their lives in conditions of ongoing instability,” said Darwin Diaz, MSF’s medical programs coordinator in Lebanon.

“Even with the November 2024 ceasefire, the hostilities never truly stopped, and the crisis persists.”

According to the World Health Organization, the conflict inflicted massive damage on the health system in southern Lebanon.

At the peak of the Israeli escalation, eight hospitals were evacuated, while 21 others were damaged, forced to shut down, or had to reduce services. Another 133 primary care facilities closed their doors, and Nabatieh governorate alone lost 40% of its hospital capacity.

MSF said it has launched new projects in Nabatieh, and Baalbek-Hermel while maintaining ongoing programs in Beirut, Beqaa, and the north. The efforts include field clinics that provide free medical and psychological care, as well as the rehabilitation of three primary healthcare centers.

A ceasefire was reached in November 2024 following an exchange of cross-border attacks between the Hezbollah group and Israel since October 2023. The exchange escalated into a full-scale Israeli war by September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people and injuring around 17,000.

Under the truce, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by January, but it only partially pulled out troops and maintains a military presence at five border outposts.