UNICEF official: War 'hitting kids the hardest'

[mom cat]

UNICEF official: War 'hitting kids the hardest'

Thursday, August 3, 2006; Posted: 12:21 p.m. EDT (16:21 GMT)


NEW YORK (CNN) -- Children make up nearly half of about 1 million Lebanese civilians displaced by the fighting in the Middle East, the United Nations says.

Returning from Lebanon recently, Dan Toole, director of the office for emergency programs for UNICEF, spoke Thursday with CNN's Rick Sanchez on "American Morning."

SANCHEZ: What did you see? I understand you went to several places where they're trying to -- I suppose shelter is the right word, for the children and the civilians -- but I'm not really sure they're getting much shelter though are they?

TOOLE: Yes, the situation's pretty desperate, Rick. I saw thousands of kids living in parks, living in schools, families, 30 to a classroom that was never meant to house people actually living there, very little water. People, neighbors, others bringing in the food, but the situation is hitting kids the hardest.

SANCHEZ: So they're like giant camps?

TOOLE: Camps, but in your city. I mean, imagine, you said that a million people are on the move. That's almost one-third of the population. That's like twice the state of California in the United States moving and staying with relatives in parks. It's just packed, and people really don't know what to do.

More at:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/08/03/unicef.lebanon/index.html

:grr: A million refugees and hundreds dead ... all suposedly because of two soldiers who were captured ... and are still alive, unless they have been bombed by the Israelis. :grr:

[knowbody0]

1. how to create future terrorists 101

[mom cat]

2. How sad. How true.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. it always does

this is no news.. truly unless we are willing as a planet to deal with all of these victims this is a non news item (darfur anyone? And that is just an example)

[chimpymustgo]

4. Why are you so damn nonchalant about children dying??

Suppose hundreds of Israeli children had been murdered in the last 3 weeks? Would you feel that?

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Because unlike you I have interviewed survivors of war crimes

I have sat across the pained, tortured eyes of a woman who lost her child in Tulancingo and told me about them troops coming in and raping her repeatedly.

I also heard the story of this other woman whose husband and two year old were killed in front of her, after which death squad members proceeded to rape her

of cousre there is the third that watched her husband die, and then her daugher and SON raped before they raped her.

Unlike you I also took care of a man working for the DEA who was tortured, yep he was missing every toe nail and every finger nail in his body. He had electrical burns all over his body, and he died in front of me. I had to lie to his wife who he did not want her to know he suffered. Did I mention this happened to him because he was betrayed by operators of another US government agency?

Then there are the kids... who came to the station, a five year old, her eyes the looks of a combat vet, the seven year old older beyond her years and the ten year old, older beyond his years, who told stories of rape, torture and assassinations.

Unlike you I have seen this personally. No I am not non chalant, but this is not news... not until the damn fucking world decides that it is not Israeli Children who matter, it is not Lebanese Children who matter, it is not children in Dafur, who by some estimates have perished in the tens of thosands... it is NOT children in down town Baghdad who matter, it is not children in the back country of El Salvador or Nicaragua that matter... but it is Children.

By the by, you think the kids in air raid shelters, though alive, are not having nightmares?

By the way if this seems too harsh or my previus response too non chalant... sorry, been there done that and you know what? It ain't pretty.

[chimpymustgo]

11. You don't know who the hell I've interviewed or known, or what I've seen.

And whatever you've seen doesn't give you some moral superiority to dismiss the lives of these children. That is just despicable.

You don't know shit about me - and quite frankly, I don't think you know shit, period.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Not dismissing them

but unless we as a world do somethign about children, children getting affected in war is a duh of the monment statement. Saying this is a duh statement does not mean I am dismisive of what is going on... just that fine, they are affected what now? Darfur? Not much... Central America... not much really... and THAT is the problem. We have statements made, but rarely action.

And yes you are right I know nothing.

What can I say? I realize more and more that this place has truly gone into bizarro world

[Swamp Rat]

5. I disagree nadinbrzezinski

This is HORRIBLE news we must discuss. Children being slaughtered enmasse is a crime against humanty, whether Arab, Jew, Sudanese, or American. We MUST do something different in order to protect the Israelis and Lebanese. I don't pretend to know what mechanism will work, but a REAL, LASTING ceasefire would be a good place to start.

THIS MUST STOP!

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Read my point above

you may get why I said it is not news... not until we all decide that it IS about children not one group over the other

[jonnyblitz]

8. that is truly disgusting. nt

[malaise]

6. Our planet's leaders

should all be in chains.

[jonnyblitz]

7. those racist assholes don't care. Israel has a right to protect

itself from Lebanense babies. :sarcasm: :grr:

[elana i am]

13. link

Link directly to a page to donate.

Fixed the link.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. fyi bad link

[chimpymustgo]

15. I couldn't open the page. Can you check that link? Many want to donate.

Thanks.