Peacekeepers Seize Arms as Lebanon Faces Deepening Drought

A UN peacekeeper looks out from a UNIFIL position in southern Lebanon.

UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have uncovered rocket launchers, mortar rounds, and other unauthorized weapons, while the country grapples with a severe drought that threatens millions with life-threatening water shortages.

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, peacekeepers with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) discovered rocket launchers, rocket shells, mortar rounds, bomb fuses, and a tunnel containing munitions in separate incidents in Sectors East and West, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

All finds were referred to the Lebanese Armed Forces in line with standard procedure.

UNIFIL also observed continued Israel Defense Forces activity, including an airstrike in Sector West and artillery fire from south of the Blue Line – which separates Israeli and Lebanese armed forces – into Sector East.

To strengthen Lebanese military capacity, the mission has been training personnel in surveying and removing explosive devices, securing contaminated sites, and navigating mined areas.

“Such training activities are crucial now as the Lebanese Armed Forces engage daily in identifying and securing areas contaminated with unexploded ordnance and explosive remnants of war,” Mr. Dujarric said.

Southern Lebanon remains a challenging operational environment, where UNIFIL works to implement Security Council Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the 2006 hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah militants.

The mission’s mandate includes monitoring the cessation of hostilities, supporting the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces in the south, and helping to ensure that the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River remains free of unauthorized weapons.

The region has experienced recurring tensions, including a sharp escalation last year marked by numerous Israeli airstrikes and ground operations. These incidents have affected local communities, damaged several UN positions, and injured several “blue helmets” serving with UNIFIL.

Lebanon’s largest reservoir, Lake Qaraoun, has dropped to its lowest level on record, the Litani River National Authority said.

Inflows during this year’s wet season reached just 45 million cubic metres – compared to an annual average of 350 million – following months of low rainfall and an intense heatwave.

The decline comes amid a wider nationwide emergency.

In early July, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)-led water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) group reported that rainfall had fallen by more than half in many regions, accompanied by decreased snowmelt, and that several reservoirs and aquifers had dried up.

The drought is affecting all sectors, from agriculture and healthcare to education and local governance. An estimated 1.85 million people live in areas highly vulnerable to drought, with more than 44 per cent of the population dependent on costly and often unsafe water-trucking services.

The severe strain on public water systems has been compounded by damaged infrastructure stemming from recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as electricity shortages.

Health risks are rising, particularly in overcrowded settlements with poor sanitation, where residents may resort to unsafe water sources, heightening the threat of waterborne disease outbreaks, the WASH cluster warned.

The drought has also caused a sharp decline in food production and increased reliance on expensive imports, deepening food insecurity.

Wildfire risks are also mounting due to prolonged dry conditions.

The WASH cluster warned that without urgent international support to restore water systems and protect vulnerable communities, the crisis could further destabilize an already fragile nation.