“After a violent night in which Israel’s aerial bombardment of Beirut spread yet more chaos and destruction, we now have a long-overdue ceasefire,” says Jan Egeland, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)’s secretary-general, Al Jazeera reports.

“It will be a moment of relief for the families I met recently in Lebanon – and for millions around the country — but this relief must be lasting.”

Egeland urged that the ceasefire must ensure the end of displacement in the country, noting that many will have nowhere to return to.

“Many will have no homes to return to, no schools for their children, and livelihoods destroyed. The wellbeing of children and their families must be prioritised in what will be a long journey to recovery,” Egeland said.

He said the NRC will continue to work in the country as the humanitarian situation persists.

“It is now also far beyond time for the fighting in Gaza to cease too. The ceasefire in Lebanon must not lead to any further escalation there or elsewhere,” Egeland added.

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