Thousands prevented from returning home to southern Lebanon

As months of conflict continue to devastate communities across Lebanon, families are being left without shelter, healthcare and other essential services.Independent human rights experts, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, warned on Wednesday that civilians are paying a “devastating and disproportionate toll,” with homes destroyed, entire towns cut off and many communities in southern Lebanon still inaccessible. As a result, thousands of displaced people remain unable to return home.More than 4,300 people have reportedly been killed since 2 March, including 392 women and 253 children, while more than 12,000 have been injured.“Evacuation is an exceptional and strictly temporary measure. It may only be used to protect the safety of civilians or for imperative military reasons, not to depopulate and occupy areas,” the experts said, stressing that displacement should only ever be used as a temporary measure to protect civilians.They added that civilians “have the right to return voluntarily and safely to their homes once the circumstances justifying their displacement have ceased.”Heightened riskThe humanitarian consequences have been especially severe for women and children. Sin...