“I came here two weeks ago and we have come back again today with a convoy…but The different thing today is that the entire road in front of the hospital has been completely destroyed.”said Christophe Boulierac, spokesman for the United Nations Children’s Fund.
In an exclusive video interview with united nations news While on the mission, Mr. Boullierac showed that although the hospital was still standing, much of what was around it was not.
Apart from heaps of debris, there were collapsed houses lying amidst burnt cars at every turn.
‘completely destroyed’
The hospital “is somewhat functional, but they were running out of water, medicine, energy. I don’t know about the generator, but it’s probably not working properly,” UNICEF The official continued before pointing to the large solar panel generator system installed by the agency next to the medical facility, which appears to have been blown over.
“All the buildings on the streets right near the hospitals, they were normal two weeks ago and today they are completely normal, completely Destroyed,” Mr. Boulierac insisted.
“You can see there the first house, the second house, the third house, the fourth house, the fifth house, the sixth, the seventh… at least eight houses were completely destroyed.”
desperate measures
With a fragile ceasefire with Israel that began on April 16 still in place, an unknown number of people are returning to their homes in the south, but some have found themselves easily evacuated.
The situation “remains very dangerous, especially for civilians”, Mr Bouillierac said, citing major challenges over the provision of water, electricity, health and education.
“It is still very unstable and still very uncertain, especially for the people, the more than a million people who had to leave their homes on March 2,” the date when Hezbollah attacks on Israel prompted Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon, sparking the latest crisis.
“And among them, Let’s not forget the 400,000 children who need everything“The UNICEF worker insisted.
Tribute to the fallen ‘Blue Helmets’
In related news, the head of the UN peacekeeping force said on Wednesday that continued support from UN member states to Lebanon will be “indispensable” to boost the country’s national armed forces and provide humanitarian assistance to the more than one million people still displaced by the Middle East war.
“Israel has to do whatever it takes to create the space and the political, practical and security conditions for this to happen,” he said. Jean-Pierre LacroixUnder-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, speaking in Geneva.
In an update on the situation in Lebanon, he said that some 80,000 civilians remain south of the Litani River. Despite widespread airstrikes and evacuation orders by the Israeli military.
Despite the dangers and difficulties of crossing the bombed bridges, many civilians have already moved back to the south. “It is going to be challenging for them, they will need support. unifil “We have recently increased our activity in support of humanitarian assistance,” the peacekeeping chief said.
Israeli army is violating Security Council resolution
He said that the continued presence of Israeli forces in Lebanese territory “is a violation of the Israeli Constitution.” resolution 1701” – The security council The text adopted in 2006 called for Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants to withdraw from southern Lebanon and a complete cessation of hostilities.
mr lacroix Also paid tribute to the five UNIFIL peacekeepers killed in the south in recent daysThree from Indonesia and two from France.
The death of 31-year-old French caporal-chef Anisette Girardin was announced on Wednesday. This follows an attack on a UNIFIL convoy which came under fire on 18 April while clearing a road to restore access to isolated UNIFIL positions in southern Lebanon.
A preliminary UN assessment found that the peacekeepers came under fire from non-state armed groups, possibly Hezbollah.
“I reiterate my condolences to France and Indonesia and to the families of the fallen peacekeepers,” he said. He stressed that “our peacekeepers are indeed making a true difference and they are doing so against a backdrop of an increasingly dangerous environment.”
The situation for UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon remains precarious, but has improved since “a non-state actor” attacked the force’s headquarters in Nakoura amid Israeli firefights with Hezbollah fighters in late March.
Mr. Lacroix said, “UNIFIL Nakoura’s headquarters is now in an area where the Israel Defense Forces have a presence. This does not mean that UNIFIL is not able to move and operate even within the borders and constraints.”
“Those boundaries have loosened up somewhat since the beginning of what I call relative armisticeNot perfect, but still better than during these active hostilities over the past few weeks.”
