Lebanon crisis: UN launches $426 million aid appeal as ‘limited’ ground invasion reportedly begins
From the United Nations aid coordination office, OCHASpokesperson Jens Laerke described scenes of chaos across Lebanon as people continue to flee airstrikes that have killed more than 1,000 people in the past two weeks alone, according to the United Nations human rights office, OHCHR.
“We should expect further shifts”, Mr. Laerke told journalists in Geneva.
“We don’t have enough supply, we don’t have enough capacity and that’s exactly why we’re making this appeal because we need this additional money to actually procure and available force to enhance the response, which is not necessary. , because as usual, we are running after the truth,” he continued.
“It’s easy to break things and hurt people but Bringing them back to normal takes a long time and costs a lot of money. So that’s why we need to stop this development and reduce this conflict The sooner the better.”
UN forces ‘in position’
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIT) speak that they were informed Monday of the Israeli military’s plans for “limited ground invasions.”
“Despite this dangerous development, peacekeepers remained in position“, the UN force said in a statement. “We regularly adjust our posture and activities, and we have contingency plans ready to activate if absolutely necessary. The safety and security of peacekeepers is paramount and all participants are reminded of their obligation to respect that.”
UNIFIL has approximately 10,500 peacekeepers from 50 troop-contributing countries. According to its website, the Mission carries out approximately 14,500 operations per month.
In a statement issued in response to the escalating emergency, the United Nations Mission emphasized that Any Israeli crossing into Lebanon would be “a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and a violation of resolution 1701” issued by Security Council in 2006 to prevent a war between Israel and Hezbollah.
“We call on all parties to step back from such escalations, which will only lead to more violence and more bloodshed,” UNIFIL said.
Middle Eastern tinder box
Echoing those concerns, the United Nations human rights office, OHCHR, warned that growing hostilities in the Middle East have the potential to “engulf the entire region in a humanitarian and human rights disaster.” ”.
“Too many innocent children, women and men have been killed and too much destruction has occurred,” she said.
OHCHR spokeswoman Liz Throssell said that in addition to more than a million people displaced in Lebanon, continuous shelling of northern Israel by Hezbollah that began in response to Israel’s war in Gaza has displaced some 60,000 people. leave home.
“With armed violence between Israel and Hezbollah simmering, the consequences for civilians have been horrific – and we fear a large-scale Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon would only lead to greater suffering.”
“All parties to these conflicts must clearly distinguish between military targets and civilians and civilian actors in how they conduct hostilities,” she added. They must do all they can to protect the lives of civilians, their homes and the infrastructure essential to their daily existence, as clearly required by international humanitarian law. ”
The Gaza crisis is worse than ever
Meanwhile in Gaza, nearly a year since war broke out following Hamas-led terrorist attacks on multiple locations in Israel, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWAdescribes the great needs of the people.
“I can speak on behalf of the people who talk to me that they feel forgotten and they feel that their needs are not as important as others and that what they need, are just basic things like food. Food, water, shelter, completely ignored in such dire circumstances,” said UNRWA spokeswoman Louise Wateridge.
“We are now 12 months into this war and I can tell you that 1.9 million people have been displaced…according to reports, 41,000 people have died. I can tell you that 63% of the buildings were damaged or destroyed. But I cannot quantify the horror that people have endured without stopping for 12 months.”
Speaking from Amman, Ms. Wateridge described how fear had “permeated” “the entire population, every hour, every day” after constant bombardment from land, sea and air.
Desperate doctors trying to save the lives of patients were working amid “the strong smell of blood… unable to save countless children,” a UNRWA spokesman said. The situation in Gaza is now “worse than ever”.
“Our demands remain the same throughout the past 12 months of war: we need an immediate ceasefire, the return of hostages and the provision of safe and sustainable aid to give families a chance. Rebuild your life.”
