An Cosantóir

UNIFIL | 13 Irish peacekeepers during a commemoration service to remember the 47 Irish soldiers who lost their lives while on service with UNIFIL SW Comdr inspects Irish troops and their equipment during a recent visit to UN Post 6.5 An Irish soldier plays the bagpipes as a Lebanese soldier stands on guard, at the ceremony for fallen comrades bility for these and other essential services. The journey time from Tibnine to Naqoura is about one hour and some of the roads are as good, or better, than at home. Communications have also vastly improved. Everybody now has a mobile phone and many towns and villages provide access to the internet via intern et cafes. There have also been major changes in the way houses are built and they are now properly de- signed and beautifully finished. The area also boasts modern schools and hospitals. The area where the Irish AO is An Irish soldier observes the ‘Blue Line’ between Lebanon and Israel situated is still principally rural but cultivation is now largely mecha- nised. While poverty is not a thing of the past there are clear signs of prosperity that testify clearly to the resilience of the people of South Lebanon. South Lebanon suffered badly from a humanitarian point of view as a consequence of the 2006 war. UNIFIL wants to assist in this regard and consequently whenever they are not being used for operational purposes, UNIFIL resources and equipment are used to assist the local community. Although not a humanitarian or development agency, UNIFIL has had from the Irish troops carry out a patrol along the blue line early years of its deployment in 1978 a strong humanitarian pre-dis- position in addressing the conse- quences of wars and occupation in South Lebanon. Some UNIFIL contingents provide free medical, dental, veterinary, and other such assistance to the local population. In addition, UNIFIL contingents have been conducting various training programmes for the people in such fields as computers, languages, etc. UNIFIL’s demining assets are primarily intended for operational use. However, in view of the grave humanitarian consequences of the explosive remnants of war in South Lebanon, UNIFIL has been using its de-mining resources to help protect the civilian population from the danger of unexploded ord- nance (UXO) and to facilitate their safe access to houses and fields. The Line of Withdrawal – also called the “Blue Line” - was identi- fied in 2000 by the United Nations in cooperation with Lebanese and Israeli officials for the purpose of confirming the withdrawal of Israel’s Defence Forces (IDF) troops from Lebanese territory in conformi- ty with Security Council resolution 425. The Blue Line is not the border between Lebanon and Israel. THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE

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