NGOs welcome the ceasefire in Lebanon with “relief” but warn of its fragility

They urge to strengthen the humanitarian response and guarantee the return of the hundreds of thousands of displaced people

Nov. 27 (EUROPA PRESS) –

NGOs hope that the ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militia party Hezbollah will bring some “relief” to the civilian population on both sides of the border, although they have warned that the agreement remains fragile and must imply an improvement. of the humanitarian situation, especially in Lebanon.

The director of Oxfam in Lebanon, Bachir Ayoub, has warned that the agreement, applicable in principle for two months, “is only a fragile pause that will not guarantee an end to the violence”, given that Israel “seems determined” to bomb Lebanon. After more than 400 days of uninterrupted attacks, the organization sees current commitments as insufficient and demands to continue advancing towards a “total, unconditional and permanent” truce.

A truce that, according to Ayoub, should also apply to the Gaza Strip, since he considers that “there can be no real end to this war as long as Palestinians in Gaza continue to endure incessant Israeli bombing, deprivation and death.”

Along these lines, ActionAid’s Global Humanitarian Director, Paras Tamang, has focused on Gaza to warn that in this Palestinian enclave the end of violence is not “any closer”, despite being “something of crucial importance.” Tamang regretted that Israel continues its attacks “with impunity,” “causing unimaginable human misery.”

For his part, the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Jan Egeland, stressed that the ceasefire will mean “a moment of relief”, but has also called for this calm to be “lasting”. “The ceasefire must mean an end to displacement and the constant feeling of fear and anxiety with which the population lives, worried about when the next attack will come,” he said.

More than a million people have been forced to leave their homes in Lebanon and, as Egeland recalled in his note, “many will not have a home to return to.” The “harsh winter” that is coming could further complicate the situation, which is why the head of the NRC wants the international community to get involved to solve the “humanitarian emergency” on various fronts.

The missionary Alejandro Leon, who works for Salesian Missionaries in the coordination of the emergency in the area, has stressed that, despite the ceasefire, the consequences of the war, “will remain for quite some time”, with entire towns or neighborhoods that “no longer exist” and a “devastated” south of Lebanon.

THE EFFECTS ON CHILDHOOD

The director of Save the Children in Lebanon, Jennifer Moorehead, has warned that among the displaced there are more than 400,000 minors, especially vulnerable in the current context. “A lasting peace throughout the region is the only way to protect children from suffering, deliver help and prevent the conflict from escalating,” he added.

Also the director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Catherine Russell, has stressed in a note that “children deserve stability, hope and opportunities to rebuild their futures”, which is why she has advocated for “urgent” work. to ensure that peace is maintained.

Russell has taken the opportunity to demand that all parties guarantee the arrival of humanitarian organizations to the most affected areas, “especially in southern Lebanon, where the needs are great.” Access to water, food, health care and psychosocial support “must be a priority”, without losing sight of the fact that these children have had their education interrupted, in some cases for several years.