UN official warns of long-term repercussions from war in South

(Taken From Daily Star September 19, 2006, link)

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GENEVA: The conflict in Southern Lebanon will have serious long-term effects on people's lives, a UN official said in a statement Monday after visiting the region. "The long-term effects of this conflict on peoples livelihoods will be severe," said Jean Ziegler, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food, after a visit to Lebanon from September 10-16. Ziegler said the damage to farms and fishing by Israel's 34-day campaign against Hizbullah in Southern Lebanon had affected the lives and resources of thousands of people.
He said he was "disturbed" by the extent of material damage and by large amounts of unexploded ammunition scattered in fields and preventing farmers from working.
Ziegler also gathered information on the damage to irrigation and drinking-water networks and is due to address his recommendations to the second session of the Human Rights Council that is meeting from Monday.

Meanwhile, one of the continuing effects of Israel's of-fensive is the ever-present cluster bombs.

Cluster bombs and other unexploded ordnance in the South are still causing many casualties among residents. According to security sources, these bombs have led to several deaths and injuries in several villages occupied by the Israeli Army between July 12 and August 14.

In a report Monday, the sources also said that precise statistics, following the Israeli offensive between July 12 and August 14, indicated 10 dead: five civilians and five soldiers, who were killed by the explosion of bombs.
The report said 64 people were wounded, many of whom were in critical situation.

The numbers of wounded were as follows: seven women, 21 children, two soldiers in the Lebanese Army, one member of the Internal Security Forces and five Palestinian refugees.

The report said until Israel submits to Lebanon the maps indicating the location of mines and unexploded ordnance, the coming days will most likely bring more casualties despite the efforts deployed by the international forces to remove all hazardous materiel from the South. - With agencies"

(MFL notes: Over 1 million cluster bombs are buried through out Lebanon, and a vast number has been shot in the final 48 hours of the war, no one has bothered to put Israel in an International Court for its war crimes)