LEBANON: WFP humanitarian convoys cross Syria-Lebanon border while children demonstrate against Israel's bombardment in support of Hizbollah

As a group of children took to the streets to protest against the bombardment of Lebanon by Israel, convoys carrying aid for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), arrived in Beirut on Saturday (July 29) after crossing through the Syrian border. It marked the first land crossing for regular humanitarian aid to assist the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by Israel's strikes. Since the crisis began almost three weeks ago and the continuos bombing of roads and bridges, movement on the ground has been difficult and dangerous. Aid workers say they are finding it impossible to get medical supplies and food safely to isolated villages in southern Lebanon due to the Israeli bombardment. "We finally after nearly two weeks succeed in opening up a land root, an international land root, across from Syria. The border is now open to humanitarian traffic, we got the first convoy through today, carrying essentially UNHCR supplies and UNICEF supplies," said Robert Lodge, a spokesman for WFP. On Friday, WFP sent two convoys to southern Lebanon carrying wheat, flour, meat and blankets for UN and other international and humanitarian organisations. A humanitarian corridor has allowed the United Nations to truck food and basic medical supplies to the southern port of Tyre, but getting safe passage beyond that is another matter. The United Nations estimates up to 800,000 Lebanese have been displaced since the bombing started and the hills southeast of Beirut are a welcome sanctuary for those traumatised, or made homeless, by the attacks. In Beirut, children demonstrated against Israel's bombardment of Lebanon. Wearing T-shirts with pictures of Hizbollah's chief Hassan Nasrallah on them, children chanted in support of the group which ignited the crisis when they kidnapped two Israeli soldiers during a cross border raid on July 12. "We have come here to say to Israel that we are not scared of you. We go out in the streets, unlike them who hide in shelters, scared of our shelling. At least when we die, we die as martyrs," said one of the young protester.

ITN Source | July 30, 2006

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