UN refugee chief visits Syrian Lebanese border after Israeli air strike cut off the main road

(7 Oct 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jdeidet Yabous, Syria - 7 October 2024
1. Wide of border area
2. Various of UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi arriving to Jdeidet Yabous borders
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Filippo Grandi, UNHCR chief:
"This has been since September 23, 24, the main entry point for people arriving from Lebanon. People have been, as we all know, leaving in large numbers from Lebanon because of the airstrikes there; the Israeli airstrikes that are impacting many communities in certain parts of Lebanon in particular."
4. Various of Grandi during tour
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Filippo Grandi, UNHCR chief:
"Many of these people are Syrian refugees who were in Lebanon about 70%, and 30% approximately are Lebanese, Lebanese refugees that are fleeing from Lebanon because of the situation. There are also other nationalities - Palestinians, Sudanese and other people that have fled."
6. Various of displaced people waiting for services, vehicles and people carrying sacks
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Filippo Grandi, UNHCR chief:
"As you know, after the airstrike cut the road, the flow of people here in Jdeidet Yabous has declined. But still hundreds of people are coming through, And they're also coming through other border points. So our operation continues."
8. Various of people at the border of Jdeidet Yabous
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Um Ali, 73, Syrian refugee:
"We left the first time only to find the road blocked. We found the big crater, that you might have seen already. The road was cut and we couldn't do it. The war was worsening and the airstrikes increased, and we couldn't stay. We wanted to come back here to our home country. It is much better this way."
10. Various of people at border



STORYLINE:
The chief of the U.N. refugee agency inspected the situation facing refugees at the border between Lebanon and Syria on Monday.

Filippo Grandi's visit to Jdeidet Yabous border crossing on the Syrian side comes after an Israeli airstrike on Friday cut the main international road connecting the two countries.

Grandi said that the strike that cut access to the major border crossing between Lebanon and Syria had also created an obstacle for civilians attempting to flee to safety.

"People have been, as we all know, leaving in large numbers from Lebanon because of the airstrikes there, the Israeli airstrikes that are impacting many communities in certain parts of Lebanon in particular," Grandi said.

Families fleeing the escalating conflict in Lebanon poured into Syria in growing numbers, waiting for hours in heavy traffic to reach the relative safety of another war-torn country.

U.N. officials estimated that thousands of Lebanese and Syrian families had already made the journey. Those numbers are expected to grow as Israel targets southern and eastern Lebanon in an aerial bombardment.

"Many of these people are Syrian refugees who were in Lebanon about 70%, and 30% approximately are Lebanese, Lebanese refugees that are fleeing from Lebanon because of the situation," Grandi said.

A day earlier, Grandi said during a visit to Beirut that Lebanon was seeing a major displacement crisis as a result of Israel's escalating air campaign in the country, and that some of the strikes have violated international law.

Lebanese government officials estimate that 1.2 million people are now displaced.

The U.N. has appealed for nearly half-a-billion dollars to respond to the humanitarian crisis, of which Grandi said about 40% had been funded.


Two UNHCR workers have also been killed in the strikes.


AP video by Abdulrahman Shaheen



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