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<tbody><tr><td>uesday, July 18, 2006</td></tr>
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<td>Humanitarian groups rush to Lebanon's aid amid
blockade</td></tr>
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<td><span>By Iman Azzi</span> <br><span>Special to The Daily Star</span><br></td></tr>
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<p align="justify">BEIRUT: Humanitarian organizations are
fighting to save lives and reduce the damage in Lebanon as Israel's
devastating offensive continues. "People need everything. They need food,
medicine. Some need blankets. The problem is security on the roads ...
Trips that used to take half-an-hour now take four to five hours," said
Hicham Hassan, official spokesperson for the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC) Delegation to Lebanon.
</p><p align="justify">"The Lebanese Red Cross [LRC] is
managing to move around but with difficulty."
</p><p align="justify">Since the start of the Israeli attacks
on Lebanon last Wednesday, the LRC has dispatched 2,000 Lebanese first aid
volunteers concentrated in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and the South.
</p><p align="justify">The LRC has mobilized 200 ambulances
and set up three operations rooms. Sixty-three wounded Lebanese civilians
have been transported to hospitals or clinics by the LRC.
</p><p align="justify">The UN peacekeeping force in South
Lebanon said on Monday it was unable to supply food and water to its
troops or deliver humanitarian aid to civilians because Israel would not
guarantee their safe passage.
</p><p align="justify">The Israeli military has not responded
to the force's repeated requests to secure the safe movement of convoys
carrying supplies, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
said in a statement.
</p><p align="justify">"After a conversation between the UN
secretary general and the prime minister of Israel ... we received
assurances that UNIFIL will be allowed freedom of movement, but this
pledge has not yet been implemented on the ground," the statement said.
</p><p align="justify">Although help in the means of personnel
has yet to arrive, some donations have made are making their way to
Lebanon.
</p><p align="justify">The Kuwaiti Red Crescent has donated 10
tons of medical supplies to the LRC, most of which will be arriving on
Saturday.
</p><p align="justify">On Monday, a statement released by the
Kuwaiti Embassy said that Kuwait was preparing to send food items to
Lebanon through Syria.
</p><p align="justify">Representatives for the United Arab
Emirates Red Crescent have also granted Lebanon a 1 million dirham
($300,000) aid package that included medicine and food packets.
</p><p align="justify">The LRC is one of the few organizations
that have been able to access most regions of Lebanon, but not without
complications and risks. Israeli fire hit an LRC ambulance during the
first day of fighting last Wednesday, wounding two LRC volunteers.
</p><p align="justify">While LRC volunteers work in the field,
other aid organizations are joining forces to assess the needs of the
country.
</p><p align="justify">The Social Affairs Ministry held a
meeting for humanitarian groups in Lebanon Monday. The meeting was one of
several held to discuss the various role humanitarian groups will play in
the country's recovery.
</p><p align="justify">"It took everyone a few days to see the
situation. Now, everyone is making emergency units and we are trying to
coordinate so not everyone does the same thing," said Suha Boustani,
communications officer for UNICEF Lebanon.
</p><p align="justify">UNICEF is making clean water and
sanitation facilities their priority, especially for recently displaced
Lebanese families seeking shelter in local schools.
</p><p align="justify">"We were not expecting Israel's
assaults would be that dangerous," Social Affairs Minister Nayla Mouawad
said Monday at a meeting attended by humanitarian organizations in
Lebanon, the Canadian Fund for Social Development and UNICEF.
</p><p align="justify">It is not only a question of donations
and resources but about transportation of these materials. "Since we are
blockaded ... Arab and foreign countries are unable to offer help as they
did in 1996," Mouawad added.
</p><p align="justify">"Materials do exist. We need to bring
them from outside through the roads," said Boustani. UNICEF dedicated
$800,000 from their reserves for emergency supplies, which were shipped
from a UNICEF warehouse in Copenhagen to Amman and Damascus and will enter
Lebanon as soon as it is safe.
</p><p align="justify">The UAE announced it is providing the
Lebanese Health Ministry with 24 ambulances, scheduled to arrive in
Damascus Monday, although it is not clear how they will be transported
safely into the country.
</p><p align="justify">Although the offensive has been
continuing for nearly a week, aid mobilization has just begun. UNICEF
plans to launch an appeal to international organizations later this week
and is confident the response will be positive for Lebanon.
</p><p align="justify">Until international aid appears, groups
continue to address current conditions.
</p><p align="justify">"We are on permanent and regular
dialogue with parties to the conflict urging them to respect international
humanitarian law in order to save human dignity and lessen civilian
casualties," said Hassan. </p><br><br><font color="#ff0000">Contributions to
the Lebanese government's aid efforts can be made in US dollars to the
Ministry of Finance, Donations and Grants Account, at the Federal Reserve
Bank of New York with the BIC Code FRNYUS33, Routing Number 021084694,
specifying Favor Banque du Liban, Account number 021084694. Contributions
in euros should be made to the same account name but to the Deutsche Bank,
Frankfurt, with the BIC code DEUTDEFF, specifying Favor Banque du Liban.</font></td></tr></tbody>
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<br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Philippe Charles Saad<br>473 Adams Street, Apt 1<br>Dorchester, MA 02122<br>+1 617 230 6670<br><a href="mailto:psaad@alum.mit.edu">psaad@alum.mit.edu</a>