In line with UNIFIL’s ongoing efforts to alleviate the hardships faced by people displaced from towns and villages in southern Lebanon, peacekeepers have continued to expand their support to affected populations currently staying both inside and outside the mission’s area of operations.
The beneficiaries included those forced from areas heavily impacted by the recent and ongoing hostilities – particularly those from areas near the Blue Line whose homes, and in some cases entire communities,have been destroyed in the hostilities.
On 9 May, French peacekeepers distributed four tons of food to the residents of Al Burghuliyah, benefiting about 100 families.
On 4 May, families displaced from Kafr Dounine village and currently living in various locations outside the UNIFIL area of operations received almost 400 food parcels in the capital, Beirut.
The mayor of Kafr Dounine, Fadi Barakat, who requested and facilitated the donation, said the UNIFIL support specifically targeted families outside collective shelters.
“We wanted to support our people who are outside collective shelters and schools, and who are facing very difficult conditions,” said the mayor.
Separately, on 29 April, the mission’s French and Finnish peacekeepers distributed, through local municipalities, food supplies, water and hygiene kits to the populations in Abbassieh and Burj el-Shamali in the Tyre district. In total, three tons of food and three tons of water as well as 210 hygiene kits were distributed.
On 16 April, Malaysian peacekeepers provided blankets, food supplies, and hygiene kits to support about 100 families in the villages of Ma’rakah and Dib’al in south Lebanon.
Some residents of these Shia majority towns have not only remained in their houses despite intense hostilities, but they have also hosted the people displaced from further south.
In addition to carrying out operational duties to help restore stability, peacekeepers will continue helping local civilians affected by conflict however they can.
