UNITED NATIONS, Aug 12: Ordinary civilians were the ‘biggest losers’ in the conflict in Lebanon, the top United Nations emergency official said on Thursday.

“It is a disgrace that Hezbollah and Israel are preventing humanitarian supplies getting through to more than 100,000 people in the devastated south of the country,” Jan Egeland, Undersecretary General for humanitarian affairs, said.

Mr Egeland said there were over 200,000 people throughout Lebanon whom humanitarian workers have been unable to reach because of the escalating violence, adding that the country was one of the worst places in the world in terms of getting aid to those most in need.

“We have not had any access for several days to the besieged population of southern Lebanon. It is a disgrace really, because the parties to the conflict, the Hezbollah and the Israelis, could give us access in a heartbeat and then we could help 120,000 people in southern Lebanon,” Mr Egeland said.

“The civilian population in Lebanon and in northern Israel have been the biggest losers in this senseless cycle of violence that is now exactly one month old.”

Despite the enormous difficulties, UN humanitarian agencies continue to do what they can and a spokesman in New York said 15 trucks carrying relief items travelled from Beirut to Baalbek on Friday.