October 26, 2024 Lebanon is experiencing an increasing humanitarian crisis with civilians and health systems at the receiving end of continued bombardment amidst the ongoing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. The latest onslaught has been so devastating for areas in southern Lebanon, leaving families without homes and hundreds of civilian casualties, with many being very young children.
Civilian Impact
One of the most affected children in this catastrophe is two-year-old Ivana Skayki. Third-degree burns have left her with close to half of her body. The burns resulted after an Israeli missile exploded close to her home in Deir Qanoun En Nahr. Ivana is really brave despite having been seriously injured as she receives treatment at Geitaoui Hospital in Beirut. Her father, Mohammed Skayki, was in the scene when they tried to escape during the strike, causing damage to their house; consequently, Ivana had body scars.
Pressure on Health Care Systems
The health care system in Lebanon is now being squeezed under the pressure of the injured civilians flooding in. In a month, the World Health Organization, which is the health agency of the United Nations, has documented 23 attacks on health care facilities that killed 72 people. Reports by the Lebanese health ministry count 55 direct attacks on hospitals and 201 attacks on emergency medical technicians, with more claims of IHL violations and Geneva Conventions.
The Israeli Defense Forces say that they have not attacked any medical personnel, stating that their goal is to fight Hezbollah, which they believe has used civilian and medical infrastructure.Hospital Response
The burns unit at Geitaoui Hospital, where Ivana is being treated, is overwhelmed with a constant stream of patients and limited capacity. According to Dr. Ziad Sleiman, plastic surgeon of the unit, the psychological strain on the workers of health is immense because they balance their professional duties with that personal toll of civilian suffering; yet staff stand devotedly vigilant in treating the injured, particularly vulnerable children such as Ivana.
The relentless shelling is a significant threat to the already meager health care system in Lebanon, warning that the war will make more tragedies like Ivana’s. “Every war ends with so many losers,” Sleiman says. Without ceasing hostilities, he fears the tally of Lebanon’s civilian cost will continue to rise.
This report calls for an immediate international focus and intervention to safeguard the civilian population and ensure that access to health services in areas of conflict is maintained.