Damage of airstrikes on Beirut Southern area in the October escalation. Credit: UNICEF/ Dar al Mussawir – Ramzi Haidar
By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 10 2024 – One week has passed since the beginning of Israel’s invasion of Lebanon. Over the past three weeks, Lebanon has seen a considerable uptick in hostilities from the Israeli armed forces. Routine bombardments have resulted in significant civilian casualties as well as the failure of several critical infrastructures. The United Nations warns that displacement continues to grow as shelters approach maximum capacity.
Last Sunday on October 6, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) launched over 30 airstrikes on the suburbs of Beirut. The following day on the 7th, the IDF stated that it launched over 120 strikes on Hezbollah targets “within an hour”. This Tuesday, the IDF had launched airstrikes on the South Lebanon, Nabatieh, Bekaa, Baalbek-Hermel and Mount Lebanon governorates, killing at least 36 people according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Despite the United States urging Israel to target Hezbollah military bases, attacks have grown increasingly indiscriminate.
According to the Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, over 2,000 Lebanese people have been killed in the past year, including over 100 children and 300 women. This exceeds the death toll of the 2006 Lebanon War and marks one of the deadliest periods in the nation’s history. Routine airstrikes have leveled homes, affecting over 1 million people, most of whom have been displaced multiple times.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has recorded over 540,000 displacements in the past year. Repeated evacuation orders have pushed over 58,890 from southern Lebanon into northern regions, while over 300,000 have fled to Lebanon’s neighboring nations, Syria, Iraq, and Türkiye. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports that over 1.2 million people have been displaced in total. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that roughly 350,000 of them are children.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has reported numerous exchanges of fire over the weekend as well as airstrikes. These attacks have put a severe strain on humanitarian aid workers and Lebanon’s healthcare system. UNIFIL has reported that their peacekeeping personnel had to take refuge in bunkers to avoid fire from the IDF. Additionally, 77 aid personnel affiliated with the World Health Organization (WHO) had been killed in the past year.
“According to the Lebanese authorities, 36 incidents targeting health care facilities have been reported between 8 October 2023 and 4 October 2024. At least 96 primary health care centers, and three hospitals, have been forced to close due to the hostilities”, stated Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, at an October 7 UN press briefing.
On October 4, the Marjayoun Governmental Hospital, Mays al-Jabal Governmental Hospital, and Salah Ghandoor Hospital reported that they were non-operational following continued bombardment. The three hospitals called upon WHO and the UN to provide protection for patients and staff during an evacuation.
They informed the official Lebanese news agency that “The ongoing crime against the medical sector and emergency teams has reached a level of audacity in violating UN charters and human rights, particularly regarding the right to medical care and hospitalization for all individuals”.
The recent attacks have also taken a significant toll on Lebanon’s education sector. Figures from OCHA show that over 75 percent of Lebanon’s schools have been converted to displacement shelters, with over 80 percent of them being at maximum capacity. The escalation of hostilities from Israel have led Lebanese authorities to postpone the upcoming school year. Lebanese education minister Abbas Halabi said that children will return to school on November 4, however, this remains uncertain as attacks rise in frequency.
Continued attacks have led to over 25 water sanitation facilities becoming damaged. Dujarric said that over 300,000 Lebanese civilians are being affected by water scarcity. The UN and its affiliated organizations are distributing safe drinking water to thousands of people in displacement shelters.
Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese people currently lack access to food as destruction and security concerns have significantly lowered agricultural yields. The Ministry of Agriculture and the National Council for Scientific Research reports that approximately 4,500 acres of farming land have been destroyed, including 47,000 olive trees. 340,000 farm animals have also been killed from this conflict.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), over 90 percent of children lack access to hot meals during the day. The World Food Programme reports that over 2.5 million people are currently facing acute food insecurity. Action Against Hunger estimates that over 1.4 million people are projected to face critical hunger levels by the end of the year.
Health and humanitarian organizations fear that conditions in Lebanon could grow as dire as they are in Gaza if a ceasefire agreement is not reached soon. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned: “An all-out war must be avoided in Lebanon at all costs, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon must be respected”.
Currently, humanitarian organizations are on the frontlines of this crisis, distributing hot meals, clean drinking water, and cash transfers to affected communities. The UN launched a Flash Appeal last week, requiring 426 million dollars. As of now, only 12 percent of that goal has been reached. Donors are urged to contribute as hostilities continue to escalate.
IPS UN Bureau Report
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