On The Brink of Cannibalism

Week after week, as warring militiamen fight for control of the war-torn city, the people of Beirut face the possibility of dying from car bombs, shelling or gunfire. Last week the inhabitants of two Beirut refugee camps confronted a new threat: starvation. The food shortage was the result of a long and bloody siege of Burj el-Barajneh and Shatila, Palestinian settlements on the southern edge of the city. Since October, the camps have been under attack by the Amal militia, a Syrian-backed Shi'ite Muslim group.

The plight of the two camps came to light in a shocking request by Sheik Khalil...