UNITED NATIONS, Oct 2 (IPS) – Escalating hostilities between Israel and Lebanon are already threatening the safety and security of more than 1 million civilians and call on the Lebanese government and the United Nations to take rapid humanitarian action and provide international support. We are urging you to do so.
On Tuesday, October 1, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza announced a 400 million dollar pledge to mobilize resources to support civilians affected by hostilities and the evolving humanitarian situation. An urgent $26 million appeal has been launched.
This appeal is to support the government-led emergency response from October to December 2024. It is intended to help provide life-saving support for immediate needs, including food, shelter, medical care, water and municipal services. Funding will be allocated to humanitarian partners collaborating on emergency response.
“This is a critical moment that requires immediate attention and action from the international community,” Prime Minister Mikati said. “I urge all countries to step up their support for providing humanitarian assistance and use their influence to end the violence.”
The appeal launched today will be used to address new and existing humanitarian needs of affected civilians. This will support the Lebanon Response Plan (LRP) 2024, the main framework of Lebanon’s integrated humanitarian plan.
“Our goal is to work closely with governments and partner ministries at national and local levels, building on the strong cooperation and collaboration that already exists,” said Imran Riza, humanitarian coordinator.
“Without sufficient resources, humanitarians risk leaving entire populations of countries without the support they urgently need,” he said.
The report on the appeal said the humanitarian response still faces a number of challenges. In addition to limited funding, humanitarian partners on the ground also reported concerns about ensuring unimpeded access to critical areas. Reaching affected groups in southern Lebanon is a problem. Shelter availability is limited here due to overcrowding. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that the number of internally displaced people would rise if the Israeli military ordered evacuations, including for 30 villages in southern Lebanon.
Senior UN leaders, including the Secretary-General, are calling for a ceasefire or end to hostilities. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the international community to “urgently support” the appeal. Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement that Prime Minister Guterres was “extremely concerned about the escalation of the civil war in Lebanon” and called for an immediate ceasefire.
“Full-scale war in Lebanon must be avoided at all costs and Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected,” Dujarric said.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell also called for a ceasefire in the region. In a statement released on Monday, she warned that the humanitarian situation was worsening over time as violence intensified, adding that there were 300,000 children among the 1 million refugees.
“Any ground attack or further escalation in Lebanon will further worsen the catastrophic situation for children. Such an outcome must be avoided at all costs,” she said. “We reiterate our call on all parties to protect children and civilian infrastructure and ensure that humanitarian actors can safely reach all people in need in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law.”
UNICEF, along with partners and fellow UN agencies, has been providing emergency supplies, including emergency hygiene kits, food and sleeping bags. In addition to child protection and psychosocial support services for children, UNICEF supported approximately 200 group shelters in Lebanon hosting 50,000 refugees by providing essential supplies.
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