Alonzo
08-10-2006, 07:32 PM
GENEVA, Switzerland, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- The U.N. humanitarian relief coordinator says 200,000 Lebanese civilians are out of the reach of humanitarian aid workers due to ongoing hostilities.
"The Hezbollah and the Israelis could give us access in a heartbeat," U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland told reporters Thursday in Geneva. He said restrictions on movement and the destruction of Lebanon is one of the worst places in the world in terms of humanitarian access.
"I don't think that any military advantage has been gained in these last days or will be gained in the next few hours. And we could save a lot of lives," he said.
"Civilians are supposed to be spared and in this conflict they are not," he said.
The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon said its freedom of movement has been dramatically curtailed since a provisional bridge over the Litani River that links Beirut to Tyre and southern Lebanon was destroyed by Israeli Defense Forces.
The IDF has not responded to repeated requests by UNIFIL to construct another provisional bridge.
Firing close to UNIFIL positions has meanwhile continued.
Wednesday evening, four Hezbollah mortar rounds exploded inside a UNIFIL position in the area of Deir Mimess, in the south, causing extensive material damage, but no casualties.
Two rockets from an unknown source impacted directly inside a UNIFIL position in the area of Tibnin, also causing extensive material damage, but no casualties, UNIFIL said.
http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20060810-011854-8382r
"The Hezbollah and the Israelis could give us access in a heartbeat," U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland told reporters Thursday in Geneva. He said restrictions on movement and the destruction of Lebanon is one of the worst places in the world in terms of humanitarian access.
"I don't think that any military advantage has been gained in these last days or will be gained in the next few hours. And we could save a lot of lives," he said.
"Civilians are supposed to be spared and in this conflict they are not," he said.
The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon said its freedom of movement has been dramatically curtailed since a provisional bridge over the Litani River that links Beirut to Tyre and southern Lebanon was destroyed by Israeli Defense Forces.
The IDF has not responded to repeated requests by UNIFIL to construct another provisional bridge.
Firing close to UNIFIL positions has meanwhile continued.
Wednesday evening, four Hezbollah mortar rounds exploded inside a UNIFIL position in the area of Deir Mimess, in the south, causing extensive material damage, but no casualties.
Two rockets from an unknown source impacted directly inside a UNIFIL position in the area of Tibnin, also causing extensive material damage, but no casualties, UNIFIL said.
http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20060810-011854-8382r