Wed Sep 25 04:15:53 UTC 2024: ## Israeli Airstrikes Leave Dozens of Children Dead in Lebanon, UNICEF Warns of Catastrophe
**Beirut, Lebanon** – Following a wave of intense Israeli airstrikes on Monday, UNICEF Deputy Representative to Lebanon Ettie Higgins issued a stark warning, stating that the attacks had resulted in the deaths of 35 children, more than in the previous 11 months combined. The strikes have also left 1,645 Lebanese wounded, including women and children.
“Any further escalation in this conflict would be catastrophic for all children in Lebanon,” Higgins stressed, highlighting the plight of families displaced from their homes in southern and eastern Lebanon. “These newly displaced add to the 112,000 people who have been displaced since October,” she added.
The attacks, which Israel claims targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, have drawn criticism for their heavy civilian toll. Video footage shows destruction of residential areas, and the scale of the attacks has been described as significantly larger than the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006. While Israel cites the displacement of tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes in the north as justification for the strikes, it has been noted that even before Monday, 112,000 Lebanese had been displaced from southern Lebanon due to Israeli air strikes.
Professor Juan Cole, founder of Informed Comment, points out the asymmetry in the conflict, noting that 80% of the cross-border attacks between Israel and Lebanon in the past year have been launched by Israel. “Hezbollah has shown remarkable restraint,” he emphasizes.
The ongoing conflict comes at a particularly fragile time for Lebanon, a country already struggling with a severe economic crisis. The economy has contracted for seven consecutive years, with the GDP plummeting from $50 billion to $20 billion. The nation has faced a series of challenges including anti-corruption protests, the Beirut port explosion, the COVID-19 pandemic, and rampant corruption. The Lebanese pound has lost 90% of its value, and the poverty rate has skyrocketed from 12% in 2012 to 44% in 2022.
The UN has characterized the Lebanese economic crisis as one of the worst in the world, and experts predict that the current escalation will exacerbate the situation, potentially pushing half of the country into poverty. The Economist estimates that the conflict will cause the Lebanese economy to contract between 10% and 25% this year.
With the situation rapidly deteriorating, the international community is urged to intervene and push for de-escalation to prevent further loss of life and further destabilization of the already fragile region.
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