Help the Child Victims of the Israel/Lebanon War

The British newspaper, the Independent, has launched a fundraising campaign to help the child victims of the new war. You do not have to be British to help though since they are simply asking for support via UNICEF and Save the Children both of which operate internationally. You can find more information about the situation that these children face in the Middle East on their sites. You can also donate via the Red Cross.

Here are the latest statistics:

Of the 615 people so far confirmed dead, Save The Children says that almost half are children. They make up one third of the 3,225 injured, and about 45 per cent of the nearly one million Lebanese refugees are under the age of 18, according to Unicef.

But despite the shocking images and the harrowing accounts of suffering, there is an acute shortfall of money raised for the children caught up in the conflict. They need help now.
[...]
The UN and aid agencies say it is unclear why so many casualties in this particular war are children. Some have been victims of mass killings, such as the 37 who died in the Israeli bombing raid in Qana at the weekend that claimed 60 lives.

The disproportionately high death toll among children may be due to the fact that Lebanese families in the south of the country, the scene of the fiercest fighting, are traditionally large. It is also perhaps because of demographics - 30 per cent of the population of Lebanon are under 18.

The high rate of killings and injuries among the young are also said to be due to the fact that they tend to huddle together during the bombing and shelling.

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How incredibly sad.

Please help if you can.

And keep this in mind: Experts fear the offensive in Lebanon will inspire "thousand new bin Ladens"

In a videotape broadcast by the Al-Jazeera network on Oct. 29, 2004, bin Laden said he got the idea for destroying the Twin Towers as a young man watching the devastation wrought on Lebanon during the U.S.-backed invasion.

"When I saw those destroyed towers in Lebanon," bin Laden said, "it sparked in my mind that the oppressors should be punished in the same way and that we should destroy towers in America — so they can taste what we tasted and so they stop killing our women and children."

Bin Laden's message has received little attention in recent weeks as war broke out between Israel and Hezbollah. But it is a reminder of how the new Israeli offensive against Lebanon could motivate Islamic militants to once again attack U.S. targets.

Not only do those children and their families affected by war pay a price, we all eventually do. Children who grow up traumatized after having been exposed to the brutal realities of war are often psychologically scarred for life if they do not receive appropriate, compassionate and immediate support.

They do not have to grow up with hatred and fear or a need for revenge. If they are attended to early enough by caregivers who provide them with much-needed support, they can survive as well-functioning and healthy human beings who have much to contribute to society. The more child victims wars create, however, the more the odds increase that the humanitarian aid they desparately need will not be delivered either in time or in a way that will make a huge difference in their lives.

We all have a responsibility to ensure that their needs are met because their needs are our needs in the end.

Listen to the children tell you about their experiences and then decide if you can turn away.