UN steps up efforts to deliver aid in Lebanon amid fightings

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations and its partners in Lebanon are stepping up their efforts to reach people in need amid continued fightings, a UN spokesperson said Friday.

A humanitarian convoy, comprised of UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and supported by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), delivered critical aid to Nabatieh Governorate on Friday, including ready-to-eat meals, hygiene kits and solar lamps.

So far this month, the United Nations has sent assistance by eight humanitarian convoys to people in hard-to-reach parts of Lebanon, according to OCHA.

Also in south Lebanon, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has provided essential supplies to support emergency repairs of water facilities damaged by bombardment, which has affected more than 360,000 people.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) supported Lebanese health authorities in vaccinating displaced children against polio, measles, mumps and rubella.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) continued to deliver services across the country. However, due to the worsening security situation, some of the sites supported by the agency are no longer operational, UNFPA said. This includes six out of the 16 primary healthcare centers, as well as one of nine mobile units, and five out of 17 safe spaces for women and girls.

According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 833,000 people have been displaced inside Lebanon. As of Wednesday, almost 192,000 of those displaced were living in nearly 1,100 shelters, 84 percent of which were at full capacity.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has identified more than 53,400 refugees who have been displaced in Lebanon since last October, more than 80 percent of whom have been forced to flee over the last month alone. The vast majority are Syrian refugees.

Since September, about 440,000 people have fled from Lebanon into Syria, based on estimates from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.