In a rare bit of good news, however, the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) said aid shipments were “back on track” from Dubai, one of its key aid hubs, after major disruptions to flights and other shipments were caused by Iranian strikes in the Gulf.
“I would say the first two weeks of the crisis really set us back. But we are now getting bookings for commercial scheduled cargo, and we can start moving supplies like we have in the past,” said Robert Blanchard, head of WHO’s emergency operations team at the Dubai Logistics Centre.
After a “significant reduction” in air freight across the region since the outbreak of war on February 28, many airlines in the Gulf “are now back to around 50 or 60 percent of their capacity”, he explained, adding that more charter flights will speed up the delivery of supplies, in addition to transporting life-saving medical convoys to Egypt.
Buried under mud in Iran
From Iran, meanwhile, UN partner International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies highlighted the “rapidly deteriorating” impact of the attacks on the capital, Tehran, “a city of around nine million people”. [that] It feels completely empty.”
Maria Martinez, head of the IFRC delegation in Iran, said: “While Tehran still maintains some basic services, some cities in the south are facing water and electricity shortages. Not to mention that we have shut down the internet across the country since February 28.”
A humanitarian official described how IFRC search and rescue responders “found the bodies of their families under the mud”.
Furthermore, “In Qom, another first responder is his aunt and her husband with a small child. It is a reality that humanitarian workers are faced with saving lives while suffering unimaginable personal harm.”
According to the World Health Organization, there have been 21 attacks on health workers and facilities in Iran since the start of the war. Ms. Martinez noted that 17 Red Crescent centers were targeted and nearly 100 ambulances were damaged or destroyed. “It’s not just cars. They are often people’s only hope when the bombs fall“
Lebanon’s exodus terror
From Lebanon, UN teams highlighted how civilians are enduring “Israeli attacks” on targets linked to Hezbollah militants, which have continued to fire rockets into Israel since the start of the war.
Often, there is little warning of impending attacks.
“The attack last week in Bashura, central Beirut, there was a warning, but maybe less than an hour before the attack and it was early in the morning,” said Carolina Lindholm-Billing, the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon.
She added that the second strike was “closer to several mass shelters hosting displaced (people)”.No warning, it was a direct targetAs far as I am aware, there are no designated safe areas where civilians are advised to go.
Expressing these concerns, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) country representative in Lebanon, Marcologi Corsi, stressed that there is “no safe place” for people to go – including the capital, Beirut. “Although an assessment order has been issued for the southern part of Beirut… in fact, attacks are also taking place in other parts of Beirut,” he said.
The United Nations aid group says that more than one million people in Lebanon have fled their homes in just a few weeks.
“I met women and girls who were forced to make devastating choices, fleeing their homes at night without a clear destination, losing their families’ entire livelihoods and leaving behind a sense of safety and everything that was familiar,” said Gilan El-Mesri, UN Women’s representative in Lebanon.
Bridges collapsed
The Israeli army’s destruction of bridges in southern Lebanon has created serious security and humanitarian concerns.
“Access is also becoming increasingly difficult as the destruction of key bridges in the south has cut off entire districts and isolated more than 150,000 people, severely limiting humanitarian access to essential supplies,” UNHCR’s Ms Billing added.
She said that from March 2-23, more than 15 humanitarian operations have delivered much-needed aid to people in the south. “But there are some of these caravans whose bill has not been approved. Then we cannot proceed due to security risks. For example, it was not approved last week and then we proceeded after a few days.”
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