NEW YORK -- The failure to reach a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon for nearly a month was, in itself, a severe in- dictment against Western political leaders. They were the only ones who could stop a war that has caused tremendous suffering. The most vulnerable victims are hundreds of thousands of children.
More than 900,000 people are estimated to have been displaced by Israel's war against Hezbollah. These include almost 400,000 children who have become prey not only to violence but also to a wide variety of health problems.
According to Dan Toole, UNICEF's director of emergency programs, at least 250 children have already been killed, and the conflict is making the delivery of humanitarian aid difficult and dangerous. In northern Lebanon, airstrikes have destroyed roads that connect the country to the outside world, severely restricting delivery of aid.