UN refugee agency says over 330,000 displaced by hostilities in Middle East, beyond

GENEVA

The UN refugee agency said Thursday that intensifying hostilities across the Middle East have triggered "significant population movement," as more than 330,000 people have been forcibly displaced, mostly within their own countries.

The UNHCR noted that clashes along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan have forced thousands of families to flee.

"We are also urgently calling for dialogue and de-escalation as violence intensifies," it said.

In Iran, a long-term host to 1.65 million people forced to flee, mostly from Afghanistan, around 100,000 people left Tehran in the first two days following attacks by Israel and the US last Saturday, according to estimates.

"However, there has so far been no major increase in cross-border movements from Iran linked to recent events," it added.

Meanwhile, in Lebanon, more than 84,000 people are sheltering in nearly 400 collective sites, said the agency, citing government reports. And over 30,000 people, mostly Syrians but also some Lebanese, have crossed into Syria since the escalation began with Israel.

The situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan remains tense amid active conflict along the border, it stressed, with reports of internal displacement in both countries, including an estimated 115,000 people in Afghanistan and 3,000 in Pakistan.

"It is imperative that all civilians who need to move or cross borders to find safety are given safe passage," it said.