UN humanitarians assist displaced people in Lebanon to return home

UNITED NATIONS - UN humanitarians said on Monday that with the ceasefire in Lebanon, their colleagues and partners are aiding displaced people returning home and those remain displaced.

According to the International Organization for Migration, nearly 580,000 people began returning to their communities in the first 24 hours after the ceasefire.

National authorities reported that almost 90 percent of displaced people in collective shelters had left as of Saturday, with more than 22,000 people remaining in approximately 400 sites.

Over 28,000 people have crossed from Syria into Lebanon since Wednesday, according to the UN Refugee Agency in Syria. More than 560,000 people have crossed into Syria from Lebanon since late September.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said challenges to those returning home include damaged infrastructure, limited services, safety concerns and the threat of unexploded ordnance.

The World Health Organization reported prioritizing repairs to 14 hospitals and addressing the risk of disease outbreaks.

Meanwhile, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) continues supporting water supply systems, with some 1.5 million people benefiting from 95 infrastructure repairs since September. The agency also provides emergency water, hygiene and sanitation support for 500,00 people.

UNICEF said to date, it has had 14 humanitarian convoys reaching more than 49,000 people in hard-to-reach areas, with plans for more convoys.

UN Habitat and its partners estimated that more than 15,000 buildings have been partially or fully destroyed in Lebanon's South and Nabatiyeh governorates, while the World Bank reported that around 100,000 housing units were partially or fully damaged since Israeli airstrikes began in late September.