ISTANBUL: If the Middle East war spreads, it could create a “permanent” refugee crisis, Turkiye’s top diplomat warned Tuesday as Lebanon said Israel’s bombardment had displaced over a million people.
“If the war... spreads, there is a possibility this will turn into a permanent refugee crisis with refugees seeking shelter outside the borders of their countries,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a joint news conference with his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand.
“This needs to stop as soon as possible.”
Lebanon was dragged into the Middle East war on March 2 when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei during the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Since then, more than one million people have registered as displaced, the Lebanese authorities said on Monday — representing more than a sixth of its entire population.
