Syrian refugees in Lebanon are returning home as war ramps up
Syrian refugees who once came to Lebanon fleeing violence are returning home to the unknown.
Roughly 100,000 people — both Lebanese and Syrian nationals — have crossed into Syria to flee Israeli airstrikes, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said.
Israel’s intensified bombardment has displaced one million people in Lebanon, the country’s caretaker prime minister said.
About 1.5 million Syrian refugees live in Lebanon, according to the UNHCR.
“It’s a total tragic situation,” Amin told CNN’s Michael Holmes.
Israel’s targets in Lebonon are constantly changing, making it hard for civilians to find safe spaces to shelter. Residents have been told to avoid areas where Hezbollah operates, but because the group operates in secret, they don’t know where to go.
A lack of shelters means many civilians have resorted to sleeping in the open air, Amin said.
“We have not seen anything like this before, even in 2006,” said Amin. “The amount and the intensity of the bombings, the areas targeted. There is a huge loss of lives especially amongst civilians.”
Lebanese authorities say more than 1,000 people have been killed.
Amin said UNHCR staff on the Syrian-Lebanese border are seeing thousands of people crossing into Syria every day.
“They don’t know what the plan is for tomorrow. All they know is they have to run.”
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