Flooding South Lebanon - Human Rights Watch

Civilian Harm
Cluster munitions have taken and continue to take a deadly toll on the civilian
population of south Lebanon. The fatal results of cluster munitions began with the
first strikes, including an attack on the village of Blida on July 19, 2006, where one
civilian was killed and at least 12 wounded by a single cluster munition strike. 141
However, by the time of Israel’s maximum use of the munitions over the final three
days of the conflict, civilians had either fled south Lebanon or were under shelter, so
the greatest civilian harm has come from the duds left behind, which continue to
plague daily life in south Lebanon. As of January 2008, cluster munitions had caused
close to 200 civilian casualties after the conflict. 142 Children face an especially acute
threat; MACC SL reported at that time that 61 of 192 casualties were under 18 years
old. At least 42 civilian and military deminers had suffered deaths and injuries. 143
Civilians returning home after the ceasefire found unexploded cluster submunitions
in homes, neighborhood streets, and fields. “The problem is getting so big that we
can’t face it,” said an officer with the Lebanese Army’s National Demining Office,
speaking in October 2006. 144 Given the sheer number of cluster duds on the ground,
casualties are unavoidable, but most injuries and deaths fall into one of several
definable categories: (1) civilians cleaning up the rubble of their war-torn homes and
fields; (2) children playing with the curiosity-provoking submunitions; (3) farmers
trying to harvest their crops; (4) civilians simply moving about villages as part of
everyday life; and (5) professionals and civilians clearing submunitions.
141 The actual number of casualties caused by cluster munitions during the war is not known. Civilians returned to find family
members’ bodies in their homes, but could not ascertain whether the cause of death was a cluster strike or other weapons fire.
In addition, the hospital staff was too overwhelmed, at the time of the war, to query injured patients or families of the dead
about the causes of the injury or death.
142 MACC SL Casualty List; LMRC Casualty List.
143 MACC SL Casualty List. The Landmines Resource Center reported that at least 62 of its 239 civilian casualties, including
four killed, were under 18 years old although it did not provide ages for all the victims. It also reported 33 deminer casualties
(12 killed and 21 injured) as of January 2, 2008. LMRC Casualty List.
144 Human Rights Watch interview with officer (name withheld), Mine Victims Assistance and Mine Risk Education section,
National Demining Office, Beirut, October 20, 2006.
49
Human Rights Watch February 2008