UNICEF initiated the distribution of bottled water and emergency hygiene kits at Bir Hasan Public School in Beirut, Lebanon, targeting collective shelters and densely populated areas receiving internally displaced persons (IDPs). The team also began distributing 1,300 blankets and sleeping bags in displacement shelters. Credit: Fouad Choufany/UNICEF

By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 2 2024 (IPS)

The escalating hostilities between Israel and Lebanon have already threatened the safety and security of more than 1 million civilians, urging Lebanon’s government and the United Nations to take swift humanitarian action and call for international support.

On Tuesday, October 1, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, launched an emergency Flash Appeal of USD 426 million to mobilize resources that will support civilians affected by the hostilities and the developing humanitarian situation.

The appeal is intended to support the government-led emergency response through October to December 2024. It is intended to help in providing life-saving assistance for immediate needs that include food, shelter, healthcare, water, and municipal services. Funds will be allocated to humanitarian partners collaborating with the emergency response.

“This is a critical moment that demands the immediate attention and action of the international community,” said Mikati. “I urge all nations to step up their support in providing humanitarian aid and to use their influence to help bring an end to the violence.”

The appeal launched today would go forward to addressing the new and existing humanitarian needs of affected civilians. It will support the Lebanon Response Plan (LRP) 2024, which is the main framework for an integrated humanitarian plan in the country.

“Our aim is to build on and reinforce the strong cooperation and collaboration already in place, working closely with the government and our partner ministries at both national and subnational levels,” said Humanitarian Coordinator Imran Riza.

“Without sufficient resources, humanitarians risk leaving the population of an entire country without the support they urgently require,” he said.

According to the report issued on the appeal, the humanitarian response still faces multiple challenges. In addition to limited funding, humanitarian partners on the ground have also reported that securing unimpeded access to critical areas is a concern. Reaching affected groups in southern Lebanon is an issue, where congestion is limiting access to shelters. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that the number of internally displaced peoples will only increase as the Israeli military issues evacuation orders, including for 30 villages in south Lebanon.

Senior leaders in the UN system, including the Secretary-General, are calling for a ceasefire or an end to the hostilities. UN Secretary-General António Guterres implored the international community to “urgently support” the appeal. In a statement, spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said that Guterres is “extremely concerned with the escalation of the conflict in Lebanon” and calls for an immediate ceasefire.

“An all-out war must be avoided in Lebanon at all costs, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon must be respected,” said Dujarric.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell also called for a ceasefire in the region. In a statement issued on Monday, she warned that humanitarian conditions were worsening by the hour as the violence intensified, adding that 300,000 children accounted for the 1 million people displaced.

“Any ground offensive or further escalation in Lebanon would make a catastrophic situation for children even worse. Such an outcome must be avoided at all costs,” she said. “We reiterate our call for all parties to protect children and civilian infrastructure, and to ensure that humanitarian actors can safely reach all those in need—in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law.”

UNICEF, along with its partners and fellow UN agencies, have been providing emergency supplies such as emergency hygiene kits, food, and sleeping bags. In addition to its child protection and psychosocial support services for children, UNICEF has also supported nearly 200 collective shelters in Lebanon hosting 50,000 displaced people by providing essential supplies.

IPS UN Bureau Report