Humanitarian and human rights organizations are sounding the alarm on the weaponization of water in Israel’s attacks in Lebanon.
The Geneva conventions prohibit attacks on water installations and other objects that are critical for people to survive. Using deprivation of water as a method of warfare is outlawed. Any intentional deprivation of water or obstruction of aid may constitute a war crime.
Oxfam reports that Israeli forces are destroying water and sanitation infrastructure, including strikes near sites that were being rehabilitated after having been destroyed or damaged in the last war. Oxfam fears catastrophic consequences for the people of southern Lebanon. Without access to clean water, the risks are immediate. Disease spreads quickly, and people who have already been displaced are pushed into even more precarious conditions. Read Oxfam’s full statement here and watch this 5-minute interview on CTV news with Diana Sarosi from Oxfam Canada.
UNICEF reports that the essential services that children rely on for their survival and futures are being severely disrupted in Lebanon. In areas like Bekaa and Baalbek, bombardments have destroyed vital water reservoirs and pumping stations, cutting off tens of thousands of people from safe water. UNICEF warns that essential civilian infrastructure – including hospitals, schools, bridges and water and sanitation systems – have been consistently attacked, damaged, or destroyed. Read more about the situation on the ground from UNICEF here.
Amnesty International has been using its social media platforms to call for urgent action by world leaders: “The Israeli military has already extensively destroyed and devastated civilian life in southern Lebanon. The world must not stand by as Israeli leaders shamelessly threaten further destruction and displacement. Israel must not be allowed to violate international law with impunity across the region. World leaders must uphold their international legal obligations to halt Israel’s unlawful destruction of civilian property.”
Canada’s leading international aid organizations – joining forces as the Humanitarian Coalition – are raising critical funds to rush life-saving assistance to people in need in Lebanon, Syria and across the wider region. Click here to see what their member agencies are doing now to respond to the emergency in the Middle East. Tiffany Baggetta, Executive Director of the Humanitarian Coalition, says: “We are deeply alarmed by the escalating military violence that is shattering lives throughout the region. Humanitarian needs are rising by the hour. We are urgently calling on the generosity of Canadians to donate today to support life-saving humanitarian aid for children and families caught in this conflict.” Donations can be made at together.ca or 1-855-461-2154.
