Geneva, March 12 (QNA) - The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) announced on Thursday that the number of registered displaced persons in Lebanon due to Israeli airstrikes has risen to over 816,700.

The UN agency, via its X account, stated that many families remain without safe shelter, noting that collective shelters are nearly 90 percent full.

It emphasized the need to ensure safe and unhindered access to humanitarian aid for those most in need, pointing out that the funding for its operations in Lebanon currently stands at only 14 percent.

So far, the agency distributed approximately 168,000 relief items to more than 63,000 displaced persons across over 270 collective shelters designated by the government for refugees, highlighting the support of the government and local authorities in the humanitarian response.

UNHCR's Representative in Lebanon, Karolina Lindholm Billing, revealed during a press conference in Geneva two days ago that many families are being displaced for the second time since outbreaks of violence in 2024, most fleeing almost immediately with nothing, seeking refuge in Beirut, Mount Lebanon, northern Lebanon, and parts of Bekaa region. (QNA)