Lebanese refugees a potential disaster, Annan warns

More than 200,000 Lebanese have fled to Syria, some of the estimated700,000 people who have left their homes as Israel continues attacks on Hezbollah militantsbased in Lebanon.

With that many refugees, there could be a "major humanitarian disaster," UN Secretary General Kofi Annan warned Saturday.

The 700,000 figure could be a "gross underestimation" because bombed roads and bridgeshave made it "extremely difficult to even get to the ground to assess how many people need help and how we are going to get it to them," Annan said.

As Israeli forces entered the south of the country, about 35,000Lebanese fled north on Saturday toward theport of Sidon, where Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz responded to a U.S. request and saidFrench aid could be delivered.

Several groups, including theUN and the Red Cross, have askedIsrael to allow shipments of food, water and medicine to reach the displaced Lebanese.

The Syrian Red Crescent has only been able to help about 10 per cent of the 200,000 Lebanese who have arrived in the country,spokesman Abdul Rahman Attar said.

Attar said hehas asked for increased aid from the International Committee of the Red Cross. In the meantime, he said, the Red Crescent is putting refugees in schools, mosques and homes where residents are willing to help.

Israel began attacks on July 12 after Hezbollah killed eight Israeli soldiers and captured two others in a raid on Israel fromstrongholds in Lebanon. While Israel has said it is targetting Hezbollah facilities, destruction has been widespread.

Aleast 348 people have died in Lebanon and 34 people in Israel since the current fighting began.