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Lebanon

ACT Dateline: Unexploded ordnance is a threat to returning Lebanese civilians and aid workers

Beirut, August 7, 2006 - ACT member Christian Aid has warned that displaced Lebanese civilians returning home when a ceasefire is agreed should be on their guard against unexploded cluster bombs and other munitions fired by Israeli forces.
According to experts, Israeli forces have been firing around 3,000 rockets, artillery shells, cluster bombs and other artillery into Lebanon each day, for the past 27 days of the conflict.

It is estimated that around 10 per cent of these munitions have not exploded, so it is likely there are more than 7,000 unexploded munitions across the conflict zone.

Speaking from Beirut, Christian Aid's security manager, Kiruja Micheni, said: "If there is a ceasefire, the 900,000 people believed to have fled the fighting will want to return home.

"But there is a danger that they could be injured or killed by unexploded ordnance, including cluster bombs. Aid workers too need to do proper risk assessments before setting up operations in the south. This ordinance will slow down the relief effort, but proper precautions must be taken."

Andrew Gleeson of the UK-based Mines Action Group (MAG) said this ordnance would be highly unstable and could detonate easily if moved.

Mr Gleeson, a former British army bomb disposal expert, said: "The explosive material will deteriorate over time. Heat and rain will make the material less stable."

The Lebanese government is working with the UN and MAG on a 12-week emergency action plan to deal with the worst of the problem, once a ceasefire is agreed.

In another development today, the UN warned that there were only seven to eight days' worth of fuel left in Lebanon.

In Beirut, Dominic Nutt, Christian Aid's emergencies specialist and member of the ACT International Coordination Assessment Team, said: "If fuel runs out this will have a major effect on the displaced Lebanese population.

"Many are living in cramped conditions, in schools and other public buildings and rely on clean water which is brought in daily by trucks.

"If the fuel runs out, the water and food supply to these people will be cut resulting in the quick onset of disease."

There are three ships anchored off the Lebanese coast laden with fuel - two are government ships and the third is a UN ship with fuel to supply the UN aid effort.

But the Israeli government has so far not given permission for them to offload the fuel.

"This is not acceptable," said Mr Nutt. "The Israeli government is morally and legally obliged to allow this fuel into the country."

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

ACT Communication Officer Callie Long on +41 79 358 3171 in Geneva.
In Beirut: ACT Coordination Assessment Communicator, Dominic Nutt on +44 77 204 67 680, or Hege Opseth on +47 91 668 684
ACT Web Site address: http://www.act-intl.org