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 LEBANON:
UN LAUNCHES
EMERGENCY APPEAL
FOR CIVILIANS
(MaximsNews.com,
UN) by
Max Stamper |
UNITED NATIONS - / www.MaximsNews.com
UN/
- 25 July 2006
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The U.N.
yesterday
launched a $149 million
emergency humanitarian
appeal for Lebanon to
provide food, health
care, water and
sanitation and basic
services for some
800,000 people directly
threatened by the Middle
East conflict.
“The
aid community can help
save lives in this
region,” said Jan
Egeland, UN
Under-Secretary-General
for Humanitarian Affairs
and Emergency Relief
Coordinator, who was in
Lebanon yesterday
morning before traveling
to Israel and to the
occupied Palestinian
territories.
“More
supplies are on their
way – but we need safe
access so that we can
get the aid to those who
need it most,” he
said, while urging that
humanitarian workers and
supplies must be
permitted to reach those
in grave danger.
The
U.N.'s Office for the
Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
reported yesterday that
over 350 people have
been killed in Lebanon
with more than 1,500
wounded, while in Israel
more than over 34 have
been killed and some 200
have been wounded.
Some
800,000 people have been
displaced or dangerously
affected and the
humanitarian situation
is extremely acute in
the south of Lebanon.
A
OCHA spokeswoman,
Margareta Wahlström,
criticized all sides in
the conflict for
violating humanitarian
law by not doing more to
prevent civilian
casualties.
“The
extremely vulnerable
situation of the
civilian population I
think is very evident to
all of us. It’s clear
that all parties to this
conflict are in
violation of
international
humanitarian law by not
taking due care to
prevent the civilians
from being injured and
being caught in the
middle of this
conflict.”
The
UN refugee agency has
asked for almost $19
million for its work
aimed at helping 150,000
vulnerable displaced
people in Lebanon and
neighbouring countries.
“The
plight of the displaced
in Lebanon is growing
more difficult by the
hour and it’s crucial
that we get the
humanitarian pipeline
flowing now,” said UN
High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR)
António Guterres.
“UNHCR
is trucking some 40
trailers loaded with
over 500 tons of aid
supplies from our
regional warehouse in
Jordan to Syria. It’s
frustrating that we
can’t deliver this
aid, particularly when
there are thousands of
uprooted civilians just
a few hours away in
Lebanon who desperately
need it.”
UNHCR has sent an
emergency response team
to Syria and Lebanon.
WHO
is coordinating the
UN’s health action
with Lebanon’s
Ministry of Health, and
it is appealing for
$32.4 million within the
package.
“As
more people are
displaced and as more
infrastructure is
destroyed, the health
needs will grow.
International concern
for the people caught in
this conflict is high.
Funding from the
international community
for health will save
lives and reduce
suffering,” said Dr
Ala’ Din Alwan, the
WHO Director-General’s
Representative for
Health Action in Crises.
The
United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA)
and the UN Relief and
Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in
the Near East (UNRWA),
are planning to set up
mobile health care units
for the victims.
“Urgent
action is needed to
protect the health and
well-being of women,
children and other
innocent civilians,”
said
UNFPA Executive
Director Thoraya Ahmed
Obaid, whose Agency is
appealing for over $6
million.
“The
widespread destruction
of public infrastructure
and services is
dangerous for everyone,
but especially for
pregnant women, the
injured and others who
may need medical care to
survive,” stressed Thoraya
Obaid of UNFPA.
UNICEF
issued an appeal for
almost $24 million out
of the total to provide
rapid support for the
displaced or refugee
children and families in
urgent need of medical
care and
essentials.
“Many
of those who have been
uprooted in the violence
are children,” said
Ann Veneman, UNICEF
Executive Director.
“They may have
witnessed the death or
injury of loved ones and
many are suffering acute
distress.
“Children
face the immediate
danger of disease and
will be impacted by the
loss of hospitals,
health clinics and
schools.” UNICEF has
already provided $1.2
million for medical
supplies and other
immediate assistance,
with the first charter
flight leaving for the
region last Saturday
with 38 tons of
supplies. ~~~
~~~
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