UN official appeals for calm following wave of attacks in Lebanon

By Cecilia Ologunagba

New York, Sept. 17, 2024

The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Ms. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, has called for calm following attacks across the country on Tuesday.

No fewer than nine people, including children have been killed and  thousands were injured,  many critically.

The coordinated attacks reportedly targeted the Hezbollah militant group, with hundreds of electronic pagers belonging to its members blowing up at the same time, according to international media reports.

“The developments today mark an extremely concerning escalation in what is an already unacceptably volatile context,” Hennis-Plasschaert said in a statement.

In line with international law, she reminded all “concerned actors that civilians are not a target and must be protected at all times,” stressing, “even one civilian casualty is one too many.”

While the full impact of the attack is still unfolding, she urged all concerned “to refrain from any further action, or bellicose rhetoric, which could trigger a wider conflagration that nobody can afford.”

The special coordinator stressed the urgency of restoring calm and called on all the concerned actors to prioritise stability as paramount, because, “too much is at stake to do anything less.”

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Lebanon tweeted that it was assisting hospitals during “the current emergency” resulting from the pager detonations because of the surge in injuries seeking medical help.

It said, “Alongside today’s health supplies, WHO previously provided trauma and other medical supplies to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, to provide continued healthcare for those in need.”