The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
South Lebanon: Traumatic return for war-weary communities
The ceasefire deal between Beirut and Tel Aviv has led to a marked reduction in hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli military, but the situation remains unstable and uncertain for communities returning home only to find widespread devastation, UN peacekeepers said on Wednesday.
And while heavy fighting has diminished along the Blue Line that separates Lebanon from Israel, ceasefire violations continue to be reported.
In line with its Security Council mandate, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continues to support efforts to achieve long-term security and stability for the region’s people.
“The level of violence has been reduced, but we continue to record a number of violations of Resolution 1701 on a daily basis,” said UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel.
“Peacekeepers are working, including through our liaison and coordination mechanisms, to consolidate the stability gains we’ve seen and continue efforts towards security and stability for everyone living along the Blue Line.”
The reduction in fighting has enabled many displaced Lebanese families to return to their homes in the south, though significant challenges remain. In many villages and towns including Majdal Zoun, Kafra and Tyre, heavy shelling has scarred the land, while homes, schools and a health centre lie in ruins…
The Blue Line is the only line
On the issue of the Israeli military’s “Yellow Line” buffer zone which is located some five to 10 kilometres (3.1 to 6.2 miles) north of the Blue Line, Ms. Ardiel described it as a self-declared military boundary established by the Israel Defense Forces which is not recognized by the United Nations.
“For the United Nations and UNIFIL, the Blue Line is the only relevant line,” she said. “Any Israeli presence north of the Blue Line is considered a violation of Resolution 1701.”
According to UNIFIL, Israeli forces continue to operate in areas north of the Blue Line, where peacekeepers monitor military activity and continue to urge all parties to preserve recent stability gains.
Returning to destruction
All along the Blue Line, the situation is extremely challenging for families and especially in southern Lebanon. Ms. Ardiel noted a recent increase in the number of returnees following multiple waves of displacement in 2023, 2024 and this year. Many families, she said, are returning to a “very different scenario” than the one they left behind.
“They are coming back to destroyed villages,” Ms. Ardiel explained. “People are trying to rebuild their lives but are facing enormous challenges, including damaged infrastructure and limited access to water, electricity, hospitals and schools.”
Others remain unable to return to their villages located closer to the Blue Line because of ongoing insecurity.
Despite these difficulties, UNIFIL continues to support communities wherever possible, organizing blood donations to help Marjayoun Hospital treat trauma victims and or by donating children’s toys and other supplies to the Istanbouli Theatre in Tyre.
“We're here as peacekeepers. We're here to help build and consolidate stability,” Ms. Ardiel stressed. “We liaise and coordinate between the parties to ensure the safe passage of humanitarian actors and municipal authorities carrying out infrastructure repairs. We’re clearing roads, removing unexploded ordnance and helping create conditions for people to return safely to their communities."
Restrictions on freedom of movement
Asked whether UNIFIL peacekeepers are able to operate freely, Ardiel said patrols and monitoring activities continue, but obstacles sometimes remain.
These include debris and rubble blocking roads, as well as unexploded ordnance that must be cleared before peacekeepers can proceed.
“In some cases, we have also been blocked by Israeli forces, whether through checkpoints, tanks or other military vehicles,” she explained. “These incidents are usually short-lived.”
Ms. Ardiel emphasized that these restrictions have not prevented UNIFIL from carrying out its mandate.
“We remind everyone that peacekeepers have freedom of movement," she concluded. “We have a job to do, and we must be able to do it effectively and impartially.”
ends
STORY: Update on the situation in the South of Lebanon from UNIFIL
TRT: 04:06”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: FOR BROLL PLEASE CREDIT UNIFIL.
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 08 JULY 2026 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Exterior wide shot flag alley Geneva.
- Various shots of UNIFIL convoy traveling on the coastal road through Naqoura Village, 13 June 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Kandice Ardiel Spokesperson UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL): “We've seen in the last little while a reduction in the level of violence, which is good news. This shows the parties’ commitment to working together to work toward peace and stability. And this is good news for civilians on both sides of the Blue Line, including civilians in South Lebanon who've started returning to their homes in certain places within the South.”
- Various shots of UNIFIL convoy traveling on the coastal road through Naqoura Village, 13 June 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Kandice Ardiel Spokesperson UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL): “There still does remain a number of violations of Resolution 1701 that we're recording on a daily basis, but the level of violence has been reduced and peacekeepers are working, including through our liaison and coordination mechanisms, to consolidate the stability gains that we've seen and continue to work towards security and stability for everyone along the Blue Line.”
- Various shots of UNIFIL convoy traveling on the coastal road through Naqoura Village, 13 June 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Kandice Ardiel Spokesperson UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL): “For the United Nations, for UNIFIL, the only relevant line is the Blue Line. This is the line that we monitor and we record violations of. So, any Israeli presence north of the Blue Line is considered a violation of Resolution 1701. Nonetheless, the Israeli forces have established themselves in this area, and they continue to operate. We continue to record military activities happening in this zone, including airstrikes, artillery and different kinds of weapons fire.”
- Various shots of UNIFIL Italian EOD specialists safely disposed of an unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Rmeish Village, 05 June 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Kandice Ardiel Spokesperson UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL): “People are returning now to a very different scenario. Many of them are seeing their homes, their neighbourhoods very seriously damaged, in some cases destroyed. People are trying to rebuild where they can return, which is not throughout the entire area of operations. There are some villages closer to the Blue Line where people can't return.”
- Various shots of UNIFIL Italian EOD specialists safely disposed of an unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Rmeish Village, 05 June 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Kandice Ardiel Spokesperson UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL): “Where people are able to return, they often find themselves without infrastructure because water, electricity, hospitals, schools, all of these things have been damaged. And so, there's a lot of work that needs to be done before life can return to normal in these communities, and peacekeepers are trying to support in whatever way we can.”
- Various shots of UNIFIL Italian peacekeepers clearing roads in Rmeish Village, 15 June 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Kandice Ardiel Spokesperson UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL): “Peacekeepers are able to monitor and patrol throughout our area of operations. Nonetheless, there have been times where we've encountered blockages. These can be anything from debris and rubble in the roadways, unexploded ordnance blocking our path, that need to be dealt with and removed. But in some cases, we have been blocked by Israeli forces, whether it's through blocks or through the blockages using tanks and other vehicles. These are usually quite short-lived.”
- Various shots of UNIFIL Italian peacekeepers clearing roads in Rmeish Village, 15 June 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Kandice Ardiel Spokesperson UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL): “It hasn't affected our ability to perform our work. But nonetheless, we remind everyone that peacekeepers have freedom of movement. We have a job to do to be able to do that effectively and impartially. And to report to the Security Council, we need to have freedom of movement to perform our tasks.”
- Various shots of UNIFIL Italian peacekeepers clearing roads in Rmeish Village, 15 June 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
Similar Stories
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday provided and oral update to the 63rd session of the Human rights Council on Ukraine.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday provided and oral update to the 63rd session of the Human rights Council on the human rights situation in Haiti.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Repeated delays in bringing lifesaving medicines, prosthetics and more from Israel into Gaza risk having devastating consequences on Palestinians who urgently need them in the wartorn enclave, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. “A truck full of non-priority supplies or the right supplies arriving too late, doesn't save lives. That's the question that actually matters," said Dr Reinhilde Van De Weerdt, WHO Representative in the OPT.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
DRC: Early access to care and oxygen decisive for Ebola patients’ survival – WHO
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), health workers fighting the country’s largest-ever Ebola outbreak are struggling to overcome critical challenges to patient care, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UN
Civilians in Iran are continuing to feel the consequences of months of conflict and military escalation, the UN’s top official in the country has said, as loss of life, damage to civilian infrastructure and mounting economic pressures leave many facing continued uncertainty.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , UNICEF
Aid agencies in Yemen highlighted the growing hunger emergency sparked by renewed fighting between Houthi opposition forces and Government troops, after mobile health clinics reported that hundreds of children displaced by the violence are suffering from the most deadly form of malnutrition.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR
Displacement on the rise in Yemen as fighting continues - UNHCR
As hostilities worsen in Yemen, more people have been fleeing their homes, further intensifying the humanitarian crisis within the region, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , OHCHR , UNFPA , UNOG , UNHCR , WHO
Yemen’s humanitarian crisis growing by the hour amid spike in displacement
Yemenis displaced by renewed fighting have described fleeing for their lives amid shelling and gunfire, aid agencies reported on Friday, while highlighting the dramatic increase in humanitarian needs in the country and in Djibouti, where thousands have sought shelter.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office issued on Friday a report documenting a shocking pattern of sexual violence amid Russia’s full-scale armed attack on Ukraine.
2
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences | WMO
As world’s water reserves change, countries must prepare for a new reality: WMO
New data showing that rivers were at their lowest level for decades last year provides further evidence that the climate crisis is real and countries must act immediately to protect themselves from the increasing threat to communities and livelihoods, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday.
The key findings from WMO’s State of Global Water Resources 2025 report covering the hydrological cycle and extreme events in the five-year period to last year:
- 2025 was one of driest years for river discharge in 35 years
- Past seven years have seen abnorfmal river flows
- Water storage on Earth’s land surface has decreased in past decade
- Widespread glacier loss across all regions for fourth consecutive year
- Asia and Africa are regions most affected by water-related disasters
- Water data availability has improved, but gaps remain in hard-hit areas
Highlighting the long-term decline in the Earth’s freshwater storage and glacier melt, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo explained that the planet’s water reserves used to act as a planetary “savings account” that absorbed the occasional dry season, avoiding a water crisis. “One of the central stories of the 2025 report is what is happening to that savings account? And the simple answer is that we are depleting it,” she told journalists in Geneva.
Groundwater reserves are equally stretched and have been in decline since 2014, WMO’s report states, with nearly two-thirds of monitored wells worldwide showing levels lower than the historical norm and indicating a shift “further toward deficit…not recovery”.
“At the same time, we are seeing more water-related disasters,” Ms. Saulo said, while also stressing that the currently strengthening El Niño “will increase the risk of drought in some areas, and flooding in others”.
Glaciers disappearing
In 2025, for the fourth consecutive year, every major glaciated region on Earth lost ice mass, leading to short-term hazards including floods and long-term water insecurity, according to WMO.
Responding to a question about whether the changing global water cycle might have contributed to the deadly Nepal-China flooding disaster, Ms. Saulo explained that melting ice and rock was just one factor in the chain of events that ultimately sent a massive and deadly wall of water and debris downstream on 26 August, killing at least 1,367 people.
“You asked if it could happen again? Absolutely; the problem in this region is that there’s 63,700 glaciers at the last count,” she told a Press Conference in Geneva. “Even if you’re looking with remote sensing with satellites at these glaciers, you might see some faults, you might see some slight shifting, that does not mean necessarily catastrophic collapse. So, in order to plan for this, it’s very, very difficult. But the international community is looking very hard at ways in which we can bring people together to solve some of these monitoring issues.”
Data indicates that glaciers shrank between 2023 and 2025 with cumulative losses of 1,400 gigatonnes of water – or about one third of annual fresh water needs.
Every major glacier region on Earth lost ice for the fourth consecutive year.
“All 19 glacier regions around the globe lost ice; in Central Asia, Iceland, the Russian Arctic and western Canada and the United States, it was among the three worst years on record,” said Wayne Jenkinson, WMO’s Director of Hydrology and Cryosphere.
Some regions with smaller glaciers such as Central Europe, the Caucasus, the western Canada and the United States may already have reached “peak water”, Mr. Jenkinson warned.
“After this point, the glacier gives less meltwater each year simply because there is less ice left to melt. That matters for every community downstream that relies on water during hot, dry summers,” he explained.
Narelle van der Wel, WMO’s Head of Cryosphere Monitoring, Predictions and Services, stressed that while some further glacier loss is unavoidable, the eventual scale of the decline is not predetermined.
“Some glacier loss is inevitable, but total loss of glaciers is not yet inevitable,” she said, pointing to emissions reductions as central to limiting future losses.
Preparing for moving baselines
The report does not attribute every observed change to climate change alone. WMO says pressure on water resources and natural variability also contribute.
Mr. Jenkinson said governments need to prepare for “moving baselines” as historical patterns become less reliable.
“The situation 30 years ago is not where we are today,” he said. Countries, he added, need to prepare “for those changes that have really already arrived”.
ends
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WHO
The deadly Ebola virus outbreak in DR Congo continues to spread across the vast country despite some success in containing it, aid officials said on Tuesday, in a renewed call for international support to help responders on the ground.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | WFP
‘Super El Niño’ and converging crises worsen hunger in South Sudan and across the region - WFP
South Sudan’s hunger crisis is becoming increasingly catastrophic as violence, extreme weather and dwindling aid leave millions without enough food, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday.