THOUSANDS of people still trapped in southern Lebanon are beginning to run out of food and supplies as the Israeli bombardment closes down roads and is cutting off water supplies.
Humanitarian Relief convoys by UN troops are being prevented from bringing aid into the area.
One Irish UN food and water convoy was trapped last night when the road ahead and behind it was bombed by Israeli aircraft. UN engineers hope to reopen the bombed road today.
About 400,000 people fled southern Lebanon when the bombardment began two weeks ago. However, thousands who are without transport or relatives to give them refuge have remained behind. The UN troops now fear that those trapped in the area, who are seeking refuge in and around UN bases, may be facing severe shortages.
Last night Irish soldiers supplied milk and high protein food to the village of Maj Dal Silm, where children were said to be screaming from hunger.
The Irish battalion information officer, Comdt Billy Harrington, said vehicles brought food to the village where people are still living in bunkers despite prolonged Israeli bombing and shelling.
"It seemed there was a lull during the day because of the Independence Day holiday in Israel, but over the latter part of the day there was an increase, particularly in aerial activity," Comdt Harrington said.
"There does appear to be an attempt by the Israeli forces to destroy the infrastructure of roads, water supply and power."
As many as 1,000 people are displaced from their homes and trapped within the Irish battalion area alone. Several hundred are seeking refuge in the village of Tibnin around the hospital and adjoining Irish UN post. Another 200 refugees are living in a marquee in the Irish UN post at AlYatun.
The soldiers are feeding the refugees and have supplied them with blankets and mattresses. Two women were taken from Irish camps to the small hospital in Tibnin to give birth in the past week.
One woman had twins. The other, Souada Chaban, who gave birth to her third daughter last week, was separated from her husband, Jamal, who remarried at the Al Yatun base until yesterday to see his child for the first time.
The troops are supplying me cal aid and food to the hospital an nearby orphanage where 20 children have spent much of the last two weeks in a basement bomb shelter. The children have become unresponsive and withdrawn, although they are well cared for. The hospital is severely overcrowded but still functioning.
At Al Yatun, Comdt Maxi McGrath said the refugees were beginning to pose problems with the increasing pressure on food and supplies. "The poorest are left behind here. Most of the young men have left as they fear that if there was a ground invasion they would be rounded up by the IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] and there would be a Bosnia type situation," he said.
The people who have remained in the area are fearful of moving from the protection of the UN bases.
Israeli aircraft have been targeting any civilian vehicles moving along the roads over the past two weeks. The Israelis claim that the only people left in southern Lebanon are Hizbullah guerrillas and are legitimate targets.
There are relatively few young adult men left in the area, and there was no traffic movement visible yesterday apart from local UN convoys. Last night the Israeli artillery bombardment increased significantly in the Irish battalion area.
There is no movement by civilian vehicles at night because Israeli aircraft are equipped with night vision. One car, driving without lights on Tuesday night, was destroyed by a helicopter guns hip.