GENEVA: UN humanitarian officials raised alarm on Tuesday over the escalating conflict in Lebanon, warning that it could soon spiral into devastation similar to the catastrophic war in Gaza if urgent action is not taken.
Matthew Hollingworth, Lebanon country director for the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP), expressed deep concern about the growing similarities between the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.
Speaking from Beirut during a press conference in Geneva, he emphasized the urgent need to prevent Lebanon from descending into the same level of destruction. “We need to do everything we can to stop that from happening,” Hollingworth said.
“It is in my mind from the time I wake until the time I sleep, that we could go into the same sort of spiral of doom,” Hollingworth said. “We shouldn’t allow that to happen.”
Since October 7 last year, more than 41,900 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the ongoing Israeli bombardment campaign, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The United Nations has verified the reliability of these figures.
Lebanon has been caught in its spillover, with Israeli airstrikes pounding various areas in the country. In less than two weeks, Israel’s bombardment has killed over 1,100 persons and displaced more than a million people in Lebanon.
Hollingworth, who previously coordinated WFP operations in Gaza, noted that Lebanese civilians are gripped with fear as they witness the war’s devastation in Gaza.
“Many are fleeing because they have watched over the last year as the war in Gaza has continued and neighborhoods have been decimated and pounded. That is deep in their gut, in their hearts, in their minds,” he said.
James Elder, spokesman for UNICEF, pointed out the alarming parallels between the two conflicts. “The commonalities are unfortunately absolutely there to be seen, whether it is displacement on the ground, impact upon children, or the language being used … (to) soften the realities on the ground,” he said.
Similarly, Jeremy Laurence of the UN rights office said the devastation in Lebanon mirrors the suffering in Gaza. “The devastation is beyond belief for all people in Lebanon as it is in Gaza. We can’t let this happen again,” Laurence stressed.
