GENEVA

Escalating tensions in the Middle East are already driving new displacement, particularly in Lebanon, where more than 90,000 people have been forced from their homes, the UN migration agency warned on Friday.

"Early signs of population movements are already emerging particularly in Lebanon and across the border into Syria," IOM spokesperson Mohammedali Abunajela told reporters in Geneva.

"In Lebanon, the evacuation orders have seen over 90,000 people displaced and as of this morning the number is projected to be much higher," he said.

Regional tensions have escalated due to the US and Israeli attacks on Iran that started on Feb. 28. Tehran has since launched retaliatory attacks against Israel and regional countries, including those in the Gulf that host US bases, disrupting global markets.

Israel has also expanded its offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, where a ceasefire was reached with the group in late 2024.

Abunajela said the movements highlight how instability in one country can quickly lead to cross-border displacement.

He also warned that the crisis is disrupting humanitarian supply chains.

"At the same time, widespread airspace closures and disruptions to maritime routes, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route for global trade and food supply," he said.

According to the IOM, such disruptions raise freight and fuel costs and delay the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Prior to the escalation, more than 19 million people across the Middle East were already internally displaced due to conflict, violence, and disasters, with the largest numbers in Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, with significant displaced populations also in Iraq and Libya, according to the UN agency.

"Any further escalation risks triggering new waves of displacement and humanitarian needs across multiple countries," the spokesperson warned, underlining that people forced to flee "urgently require" support, including emergency shelter, food, safe water, health services, protection, and mental health support.

The spokesperson also said "de-escalation is essential," urging: "Protecting civilians, including migrants and displaced people, and ensuring respect for international humanitarian law must remain a priority to prevent further human suffering."