The European Commission has announced an additional allocation of €10 million in humanitarian aid to assist Lebanon amid escalating hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.
In an official statement released on its website, the Commission stated that this emergency funding aims to address the most pressing needs such as protection, food assistance, shelter, and healthcare.
The European Union (EU) stands ready to offer further support by mobilizing all available emergency response tools, including the use of its Civil Protection Mechanism.
The statement also highlighted that in 2024, the European Union has already provided approximately €74 million in humanitarian aid to support vulnerable populations in Lebanon, including this latest allocation.
The recent conflict has caused significant displacement in Lebanon from areas adjacent to Israel, with recent data indicating that there are at least 90,530 new displaced persons in Lebanon in addition to nearly 112,000 displaced since October 2023. The conflict has also resulted in hundreds of civilian casualties and injuries.
On Friday, the Acting United Nations Relief Chief designated $10 million in emergency funding to address the humanitarian situation in Lebanon, which the local UN coordinator described as “catastrophic.”
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that Israeli air strikes continue to affect civilians and civilian infrastructure for the fifth consecutive day of widespread military escalation.
The UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Raza, described the destruction as catastrophic, noting that the escalation of violence has extended to areas previously unaffected, causing extensive damage.
Raza stated, “We are witnessing the bloodiest period in Lebanon in a generation, and many express fear that this might just be the beginning.” In less than a week, at least 700 people have died, thousands have been injured, and nearly 120,000 have been displaced, with numbers continuing to rise.
