The United Nations has warned this Friday that the increase in bombings by Israel against Lebanon are “catastrophic” and has regretted that the country “is going through its deadliest period in a generation”, amid fears of an expansion of the conflict and the outbreak of a full-scale war in the Middle East.
“The situation is catastrophic. We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation, and many express fear that this is just the beginning“said the humanitarian coordinator of the UN for the country, Imran Riza, who stressed that the crisis “has also impacted the United Nations, with the tragic loss of two colleagues of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and one of his children.”
Thus, he explained that “for almost a year, people, especially in southern Lebanon, has lived in fear“Many had expressed concerns about experiencing a situation similar to that of Loop and, over the last year, we have asked the parties to reduce tensions to avoid that outcome,” he added.
“Unfortunately, in just a few days, hundreds of thousands of people feel that they now face a comparable fate. The increase in violence has spread to previously unaffected areas, causing a widespread destruction of housing and infrastructure throughout the country,” he stated. “In less than a week, at least 700 lives have been lostthousands have been injured and almost 120,000 people have been displaced in a matter of hours, and these numbers continue to increase as we speak,” said Riza, who stressed that the UN and its partners are coordinating with the Lebanese authorities to “support the efforts of response”.
An “overwhelmed” health system
Riza explained that these tasks include the aid distribution organization and the identification of the needs of those affected. “The health system is already overwhelmed,” he warned, while recalling that the explosion of thousands of communication devices last week “practically exhausted health supplies.”
“Given the recent escalation and with hospitals reaching the limit of their capacities, the system is struggling with limited resources to meet growing demands,” he noted. “Nearly 500 shelters shelter nearly 80,000 displaced peopleincluding 300 schools that have been designated for this purpose, impacting the education of more than 100,000 students,” he argued.
Riza has also pointed to supply shortages in areas such as shelter repair, fuel and coordination, while reiterating that “civilians must be protected“. “Civilian infrastructure must not be attacked. The safety of UN personnel and their assets must be guaranteed. International Law must be respected,” he stated.
However, he has recognized that the future “is marked by uncertainty” and has emphasized that “the priority must be to guarantee an immediate ceasefire” and that “the region can’t stand any more bloodshed“Even if hostilities cease, the consequences of violence will require a massive and coordinated humanitarian response to address widespread displacement, rebuild critical infrastructure and restore essential services,” he concluded.
More child victims daily than in 2006
For its part, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has lamented that the Israeli attacks have already left a daily number of dead children higher to that of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, in fact reaching more than double that recorded during said war.
“As the week progresses, the devastation grows, piling tragedy upon tragedy,” said UNICEF Representative in Lebanon, Edouard Beigbeder. “The attacks are killing and injuring boys and girls at a terrifying rate which makes any kind of sense of security impossible,” he added. The organization has noted that the conflict is already adding to the fragile situation of tens of thousands of families due to the overlapping crises of recent years, such as the explosion in the port of Beirut in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic and the deep economic crisis.
In this way, he pointed out that hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced during the last 72 hours, adding to the 110,000 who had abandoned their homes since October 8, 2023, when hostilities broke out between Israel and Hezbollah, following the attacks carried out a day earlier by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and other Palestinian factions.
UNICEF has also pointed out that civil infrastructure has suffered serious damage this week, including water pumping stations built or rehabilitated by the organization in the south of the country and the Becá Valley, which have left 30,000 people without access to drinking water. “Lebanon, which was already on the brink of the abyss, has gone from crisis to catastrophe. The suffering of girls and boys must end,” Beigbeder stressed. “The only way to do this is through an immediate de-escalation of hostilities. A large-scale conflict would have a devastating impact on the country’s 1.3 million children,” he added.
He affirms that the crisis reaches “alarming levels”
In this context, the director of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Lebanon, Maureen Philippon, has warned that “the impact is deepening in Lebanon and bringing the humanitarian crisis to alarming levels“Some Lebanese villages have been left almost completely deserted amid large-scale destruction,” he said.
“Families do not know which way to go as Israel bombs dozens of cities for the first time. Civilian areas in Lebanon and Israel must not be attacked and respect for International Law by all parties is paramount. We need a ceasefire now before more lives are destroyed,” he argued.
Thus, he noted that “around 75,000 people are seeking refuge in collective centers, which are primary schools and which are not adequately equipped to accommodate these figures”, before detailing that these facilities “do not have showers or bathroom areas and two or three families are crowded into the same class, despite not knowing each other, which leaves many without sufficient privacy”.
“It’s only been four days and the situation will only get worse over time. The lack of privacy also makes it difficult for families to process the trauma they are experiencing and our NRC teams report encountering many children who need urgent psychological support,” he said. specified Philippon, who added that “there are people who You are not allowed to enter the shelters because there is no space“. “Lebanese families themselves are opening their doors to people in need, but this is not enough. Some displaced families are forced to seek shelter at bus stops, in their cars and outside hospitals, not knowing where to go next. “Thousands of people have already sought refuge across the border in Syria,” he said.
Philippon also regretted that “many families fled with nothing, not even essential medicines or clothing.” “The local community is providing great supportand our teams, many of whom are displaced, are helping those who can,” he noted, before highlighting that the delivery of funds by donors is urgent to “expand support to families who have lost everything.” .
