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Lives being upended on massive scale in Lebanon, says UN refugee agency

Rescuers work in the rubble of residential buildings after air strikes, in the Resalat neighborhood, in Tehran, Iran, in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released March 9, 2026. Iranian Red Crescent Society/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. Verification Lines: Road layout, building exterior and trees matched satellite imagery Coordinates of the damaged buildings: 35.73951256658418, 51.48752698828381 Date not verified bu
Rescuers work in the rubble of residential buildings after air strikes, in the Resalat neighborhood, in Tehran, Iran, in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released March 9, 2026. - Iranian Red Crescent Society/via REUTERS

GENEVA: Lives have been upended on a massive scale in Lebanon amid a wider conflict in the Middle East, with more than 667,000 people now registered as displaced within the country - an increase of 100,000 in just one day - the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday.

Lebanon was dragged into the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran this month when militant group Hezbollah ​launched rockets and drones into ​Israel, which has responded with heavy bombardment across ‌the ⁠country.

Some 120,000 people are staying in government designated shelters, while others are still looking for somewhere to stay, the UNHCR said, citing government figures.

"Many others are staying with relatives or friends or still searching for accommodation, and we see cars lined along the street with people sleeping in them and also on the sidewalks," said Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR representative in Lebanon.

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