Destruction of Lebanon-Syria border crossings in Israeli airstrikes creates difficulties

Qusair, Syria — 

A watercourse of refugees fleeing Lebanon to Syria crossed a constrictive makeshift span connected ft Sunday successful the Qusair country of Syria's Homs state aft the authoritative borderline crossing was enactment retired of committee by an Israeli onslaught 2 days earlier.

Only 3 functioning crossings stay betwixt the countries, which stock a borderline 375 kilometers (233 miles) long.

In precocious September, an Israeli airstrike deed the borderline crossing of Matraba successful Lebanon's northeast, forcing it to close. A fewer weeks aboriginal came a onslaught connected Masnaa, the main crossing betwixt the 2 countries, putting it retired of service. The Jousieh crossing was struck connected Friday.

The Israeli subject has accused the Hezbollah militant radical of utilizing the crossings to determination weapons and subject instrumentality from Syria to Lebanon. But humanitarian officials accidental that the closure of the crossings person intensified an already terrible humanitarian situation by blocking cardinal routes for supplies and impeding entree for those fleeing to safety.

"The concern is simply a tragedy," said Ghossoun Mubarak, who fled with her 3 children from the metropolis of Baalbek successful eastbound Lebanon, describing the bombardment that pushed her to permission her home. They crossed via the makeshift ft span connected Sunday.

The United Nations exile agency, oregon UNHCR, said this week that astir 430,000 radical had crossed from Lebanon into Syria implicit the past period since Israel launched a large aerial bombardment and crushed penetration of Lebanon arsenic portion of its propulsion against Hezbollah. Lebanese officials springiness a higher estimation of much than fractional a cardinal people.

Rula Amin, a spokesperson for the UN exile agency, UNHCR, voiced interest implicit the harm to the crossings, calling them "a main lifeline for radical escaping the conflict."

"Today, it was better," said Omar Abu Jabal, 29, who was returning to Lebanon Sunday via the Jousieh crossing aft a enactment trip. "No issues on the way. But before, determination were bombings, which stopped radical from moving."

Nabil Aakoul, manager of proscription for the Homs province, said the caller strikes destroyed a span implicit the Orontes River, disrupting question betwixt captious cultivation areas. Aakoul estimated that rebuilding the span volition outgo astir 35 cardinal Syrian pounds (around $2.5 cardinal dollars astatine the authoritative speech rate), portion the harm has severed entree to cultivation areas and isolated communities babelike connected cross-river commercialized and travel.

Yahya Abu Youssef, who lives adjacent the damaged bridge, described the onslaught arsenic "inhumane" and reported injuries to children and livestock nearby. "All that's present is simply a span connecting villages and farms," helium said, noting that villagers present look an further 10 kilometers (6 miles) of question to scope the metropolis of Homs.