JERUSALEM (dpa-AFX) - The Middle East war entered its 11th day, with strikes and counter-strikes across the region and the humanitarian toll mounting. UN agencies have warned that rising civilian casualties, mass displacement - particularly in Lebanon - and damage to critical infrastructure are deepening the crisis, while disruptions to shipping and energy routes risk driving up global prices and worsening food insecurity.
UN agencies have reported massive displacement across the Middle East, along with surging food and fuel prices that risk increasing hunger and suffering for the most vulnerable.
Latest WHO data indicates that 486 people have been killed amid ongoing Israeli shelling and ground operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah militants. 'Twenty per cent of the casualties are children,' said Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar, WHO Representative in Lebanon.
The 'black rain' that's been falling in Tehran after Israeli and U.S. strikes on oil depots 'is indeed a danger' for Iranians, the UN health agency says.
'We are in touch with the hospitals and with the authorities, and the Iranian authorities have issued an alert advising people to stay indoors, even in light of the attacks on oil warehouses especially,' reports Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization.
Significant numbers of people are crossing back into Afghanistan over its eastern and western borders, directly as a result of the Middle East war and ongoing clashes with Pakistan.
According to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, 110,000 people have returned to Afghanistan from Iran and another 160,000 have arrived from Pakistan since January 1.
In addition, about 115,000 people have been internally displaced along the frontier with Pakistan, says Arafat Jamal, UNHCR Representative in Kabul.
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