UNICEF calls for aiding 400,000 war-afflicted children in Lebanon

UNICEF on Tuesday expressed concern toward the dire condition of more than more than 400,000 children currently without home or relocated in Lebanon as the winter cold looms on the horizon. Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, Ted Chaiban, called for protecting civilians, civil infrastructures and halting breaches of the international humanitarian law. Chaiban was speaking as he emerged from a meeting with Prime Minister of the Lebanese Caretaker Government, Najib Mikati; attended by Matthew Hollingworth, the World Food Programme Country Director in Lebanon. The meeting aimed at discussing needs of hundreds of thousands of displaced Lebanese including food, water and sanitation. Chaiban called for a ceasefire to make the task at the humanitarian level possible warning that "if the conflict persists nothing will work." He was alluding to ongoing hostilities between the Israeli occupation and the Lebanese resistance. The occupation heavy bombardment of sout hern Lebanon and the densely populated southern suburbs of the capital Beirut has forced more than 1.3 million people to flee to regions, believed to be safer. However, the occupation warplanes yesterday hit a remote mountain-top village in the north leaving 22 people, mostly relocated people, dead. Elaborating, Chaiban said that UNICEF is closely coordinating with the Lebanese government to coordinate relief operations for the relocated namely the children. Chaiban revealed that he would partake in the Paris conference for Lebanon, due on October 24, to highlight the needs of the displaced people. Meanwhile, a joint statement released by the UNICEF and the WFP said that Chaiban and Carl Skau, WFP's Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, visited a number of facilities sheltering the relocated in the country. The statement called for "unlimited financial allocations," to secure aid for the relocated and exert pressure on Israel to keep the ports open for entry of the relief supplies. The s tatement said the WFP had already stockpiled on huge amounts of food sufficient to feed 200,000 people per day -- in addition to some cash money for some of the displaced. UNICEF teams for their part have been delivering aid to the displaced children and providing them with psychological support at the shelters. Source: Kuwait News Agency