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Newshour

UN says Lebanon at risk of ‘humanitarian catastrophe’

Newshour

BBC

News, Daily News

4.21.1K Ratings

🗓️ 27 March 2026

⏱️ 48 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The UN says there's no longer any safe space for civilians to find refuge in Lebanon, even in Beirut. Israel has been carrying out a widespread offensive against Hezbollah. With nearly a million people displaced by the war in Lebanon, we speak to the Deputy Prime Minister - how are they coping?

Also, the British government is being urged to apologise to tens of thousands of women in who were forced to give up their babies after the Second World War because they weren't married.

And a new study says AI is giving bad advice to flatter its users!

(Photo: A displaced woman from Majdal Zoun in southern Lebanon smokes a sigarette, at the Jaafareya High School, now used as a temporary shelter for displaced people, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, as the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran continues, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 27, 2026. Credit: Reuters)

Transcript

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0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.

0:09.2

Hello and welcome to NewsHour live from the BBC World Service in London.

0:13.6

I'm Rebecca Kesb.

0:15.2

Today, the US-Israeli war with Iran has been the main subject of the G7 meeting of foreign ministers just outside

0:22.1

Paris. French foreign minister Jean-Noel Bahrain called on for an immediate cessation of

0:28.0

attacks on civilian infrastructure and civilians. The need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz has also

0:34.1

been a pressing concern today. And later in the program, we'll be heading to Israel,

0:38.6

where this week senior voices from within the Israeli defence forces have warned that the military

0:44.6

is spread too thinly and fighting on too many fronts. First, though, we head to Lebanon, where

0:50.9

close to a million people have been displaced by the war. Now the UN warns there

0:55.9

is no safe place for civilians to find shelter in the country, even in the capital

1:01.1

Beirut. Israel is carrying out a major offensive against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement,

1:07.4

mostly but not exclusively in southern Lebanon. It's been destroying bridges across the Latani River, and this week it said it

1:14.5

intended to occupy everything south of that river as a security zone for Israel.

1:20.9

Well, many who have fled their homes are finding themselves in really difficult circumstances

1:25.2

without the help they need.

1:27.6

Dr. Sarah Nader is the medical activity manager for Beirut Emergency Response at the charity

1:33.6

Med Sanson Frontier.

1:35.4

What we have been witnessing now is very concerning because especially now the last

1:41.2

days we had waves of rain and cold weather affecting some part of the countries.

1:46.5

And the conditions are becoming even more challenging than before.

1:50.4

We have many people sheltering, sometimes even outside or in plastic tents.

...

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