The escalation of violence in the Middle East, including military actions in Lebanon, could lead to a humanitarian disaster across the region, warned Elizabeth Throssell, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), during a briefing in Geneva.
“We are deeply concerned about the widening conflict in the Middle East. It has the potential to drag the entire region into a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe,” she stated. Throssell emphasized that the situation could worsen, with devastating consequences for civilians, adding that a large-scale Israeli invasion of Lebanon “would only cause more suffering.”
The UN representative also reminded that Israeli strikes in Lebanon have already claimed more than a thousand lives over the past two weeks. “All parties to this conflict must clearly distinguish between military targets and civilian objects,” she stressed. OHCHR Chief Volker Türk reiterated the importance of holding those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law accountable, she concluded.
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Based on materials from TASS