Beirut | Amsterdam
Two of War Child's centres in Baalbek have also been completely destroyed.
“We are beyond words. Our hearts are broken as we grieve for these children – former refugees from Syria who came to Lebanon in search of safety and instead were indiscriminately killed. Meanwhile, as world leaders gather in New York, the conflicts across the Middle East are spiralling out of control. Parties to the conflict and their international allies have obligations under international humanitarian law which are absolutely clear, yet are being ignored,” says Flutra Gorana, War Child's Regional Director for the Middle East, based in Lebanon.
The killing and displacement of children is heartbreaking and completely unacceptable. War Child is witnessing the children we serve facing the anxiety of sudden displacement and terrifying psychological distress from the constant barrage of explosive weapons.
The five children killed were past participants of War Child's non-formal education programme and were well known to War Child's staff. War Child is working to identify the most appropriate way to provide support to surviving family members and the community. But the most urgent action needed right now is de-escalation to prevent further suffering and save lives.
In less than a week, more than 700 people have been killed in Lebanon, thousands more have been injured and hundreds of thousands of people are displaced. War Child calls on all parties to the conflict to meet their obligations to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians. All parties to armed conflict must at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants, and between civilian objects – such as residential buildings and schools – and military objectives. This is not happening. States with influence in this conflict have legal responsibilities, including to prevent grave rights violations.
More information and interviews:
Jess Timings, War Child Alliance Media Manager
jessica.timings@warchild.net, +316 4266 1929
