UN to list south Lebanon historic castles as 'in danger' from conflict

The United Nations is poised to designate several significant global sites as 'in danger,' citing threats from conflict and climate change. Among the potential additions to the endangered list are five castles in southern Lebanon, an area currently experiencing conflict. The Crusader fortress of Qalaat al-Chakif, or Beaufort Castle, was recently captured by Israeli troops.

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We may not have the means to deploy peacekeepers... but we can send a message to the entire world.

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee will convene in Busan, South Korea, to vote on new World Heritage sites and those requiring urgent protection. Lazare Eloundou Assomo, director of UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, emphasized that while peacekeepers may not be deployable, a strong message can be sent to protect these vital locations. He noted that safeguarding heritage helps traumatized communities begin to rebuild.

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These sites are important, and everything must be done to prevent their destruction.

Three sites are expected to be fast-tracked onto the endangered list. These include the archaeological site of Sebastia in the West Bank, identified as Biblical Samaria. The area faces potential access issues due to Israeli control. Additionally, the Boma-Badingilo grassland and woodland savannahs in South Sudan, a critical migration path for over a million animals, are threatened by war and climate change.

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Safeguarding heritage allows communities that have been traumatised, victims of conflicts, to begin to come back and rebuild.

Assomo clarified that labeling a site as 'in danger' is not a penalty but a mechanism to help nations secure funding, partnerships, and international attention for preservation efforts. Sites already on the World Heritage list, such as Roman baths and a triumphal arch in Tyre, Lebanon, may also be further designated as endangered due to recent heavy Israeli bombardment.

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Listing a site as heritage in danger was not a reprimand but a measure meant to help states find funding, partners and attention to better preserve it.