Lebanese civilians ‘bearing brunt’ of damage: UN official
Imran Riza, the UN’s resident and humanitarian coordinator, has said the mass wave of displacement and destruction of civilian infrastructure in Lebanon has been “catastrophic”, with civilians “bearing the brunt” of the pain.
“The level of trauma, the level of fear amongst the population, has been extreme,” Riza said. “You’ve got people being displaced from one place to another, thinking they were going to a safe place, and then that being struck,” he added.
Riza noted that international humanitarian law demands aid workers be allowed to reach people in need, and that civilian infrastructure be protected.
“Unfortunately, we are seeing a situation where we have to go back to everybody and advocate for these basics in terms of protecting civilians”, he said.
The number of Lebanese people killed by Israel since it intensified its attacks on the country last week is approaching 2,000, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
Smoke rises after a strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs and its surroundings, as seen from Hadath, Lebanon, October 3
World Bank reroutes $250 million to Lebanon aid response
The World Bank has announced it will divert $250m in funds to Lebanon’s emergency aid response.
The funds are being redirected from a programme intended to improve the country’s electricity infrastructure and boost renewable energy.
“The World Bank is activating emergency response plans to be able to repurpose resources in the portfolio to respond to the urgent needs of people in Lebanon,” according to a World Bank.
There are currently some 1.2 million people displaced in Lebanon, with aid groups warning of a “nightmare” scenario.
‘Dahiyeh Doctrine’ returns to Dahiyeh
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/10/3/dahiyeh-doctrine-returns-to-dahiyeh
Israeli leaders have called on the people of Lebanon to get out of harm’s way and not become “human shields” for Hezbollah. Such messages suggest that the killing of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure are unintended consequences of Israel’s war-making.
In reality, targeting civilian life is a well-established tactic of the Israeli armed forces under the infamous “Dahiyeh Doctrine”.
Israeli military says 10 projectiles fired from Lebanon at northern Israel
In its latest update, the Israeli military says that some of the rockets were “intercepted and the rest fell in open areas”.
