EU releases 10 mln in urgent aid for people in Lebanon

The European Commission announced Sunday EURO 10 million in additional humanitarian aid to help people in Lebanon "affected by the ongoing escalation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel." This emergency funding aims to "tackle the most urgent needs such as protection, food assistance, shelter and health care". The EU said it stands ready to "provide further support by mobilising all the available emergency response tools, including via use of the Civil Protection Mechanism". In 2024, the EU provided EURO 74 million in humanitarian aid to help vulnerable populations in Lebanon this allocation included. The EU stated the conflict has triggered population displacement in Lebanon from areas bordering Israel, with latest data pointing to at least 90,530 newly displaced people in Lebanon in addition to the nearly 112,000 displaced since October 2023. There are already hundreds of casualties and injuries among civilians. People in Lebanon, including refugees, were already experiencing high levels of po verty and food insecurity while having limited access to services. Nearly two million Lebanese and Syrian refugees are estimated to be food insecure. This number is expected to rise further. Since 2011, the EU allocated over EURO 941 million in humanitarian aid to respond to the urgent needs of the population, both Lebanese and refugees. Source: Kuwait News Agency