Israeli attacks since March 2 have displaced over 1.16 million people, a top Lebanese official said Monday.
Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayyed told a press conference in Beirut that the number reflects figures from a self-registration platform since the start of the Israeli assaults.
Shelter centers were opened "quickly and in an organized manner from the first day," she said, noting that 171 centers were established on March 2, with around 30,000 displaced people taking shelter within hours.
"The following day, the number rose to 321 centers accommodating about 60,000 displaced," she added.
All official shelters are "exclusively under the authority of the state," managed by the Social Affairs and Education ministries "in cooperation with partners," and are not affiliated with any party or group, she stressed.
The Israeli army has pounded Lebanon with airstrikes and launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon since a cross-border attack by Hezbollah on March 2.
Lebanese authorities say at least 1,039 people have since been killed and 2,876 injured in Israeli attacks.
The current escalation followed the start of a joint US-Israeli offensive on Iran, which has killed over 1,340 people since Feb. 28. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are targeting "US military assets."
