Despite challenges posed by recent and ongoing hostilities in south Lebanon, UNIFIL peacekeepers have been carrying out life-saving operations daily to enable humanitarian and other civilian movements within their area of operations.
Key among them is the work of the mission’s explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams, who – for example – check and clear several roads of explosives everyday. Since the escalation of hostilities early March, they have found and destroyed dozens of unexploded ordnances, improvised explosive devices and crashed drones. Such tasks are increasingly dangerous as mines are planted on the road at various locations. Peacekeepers also provided security escorts to humanitarian convoys, in addition to coordinating a lot of other such missions.
The other essential task the peacekeepers perform everyday is the reopening of vital roads. Yesterday, a group of UNIFIL peacekeepers worked all day to reopen 2.5 kilometers stretch of the road linking some villages in the south with Naqoura, which was damaged during recent hostilities. Equipped with earthmoving machinery, excavators, and bulldozers, the peacekeepers – including EOD teams and other specialists – filled craters, removed roadblocks, repaired potholes, and detected and cleared unexploded hazards.
UNIFIL’s commitment to fulfilling its mandate under Security Council Resolution 1701 is firm, but its posture on the ground is continuously adapted to suit the evolving situation. By facilitating humanitarian missions in the south and acting within the broader framework of the protection of civilians, UNIFIL supports stability and safety in the area.
