The European Commission has declared an additional €30 million in humanitarian aid will be dispatched to Lebanon amid the intensifying conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
This increase follows a previous €10 million allocated at September’s end, raising the total aid for the year to over €104 million.
The funding is intended to enhance support for food, shelter, healthcare, and other critical services in Lebanon.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized, “Our new funding will ensure civilians receive much-needed assistance during this very difficult time. We continue to advocate for a ceasefire across the border with Lebanon and in Gaza, as well as for the release of all hostages.”
The ongoing military actions by Israel have exacerbated the already dire humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, resulting in hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians and over 1,000 deaths, as reported by Lebanon’s health ministry.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has noted that more than 30 primary healthcare centres in affected areas of Lebanon have ceased operations.
Medical facilities are overwhelmed with the continuous arrival of casualties, prompting the suspension of non-urgent medical procedures under government emergency protocols.
Hassan Dbouk, leader of the disaster management unit in Tyre, described the situation as “catastrophic,” with essential supplies dangerously low and transportation increasingly perilous.
The conflict has also prevented farmers from accessing their lands and has strained municipal finances severely, complicating salary payments. Infrastructure damage has led to the shutdown of one of the district’s four hospitals and has severely impacted others.
Lebanon’s ongoing economic crisis since 2019 and the devastating Beirut port explosion in 2020 have strained its ability to deliver basic services like electricity and medical care.
Political strife has left the country without a president or effective government for over two years, amplifying a pervasive sense of neglect.
According to Imran Riza, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, the nation is facing multiple overlapping crises, overwhelming its capacity to respond effectively.
Compounding the situation, waste management has deteriorated, with the workforce of municipal workers dwindling from 160 to just 10, leading to uncollected trash accumulating in the streets.
