UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi announced on Sunday, during a meeting with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, that approximately 200,000 displaced individuals could receive cash assistance. Over one million people have been forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in other parts of Lebanon due to ongoing Israeli bombings in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and southern Beirut suburbs.
During the meeting, Grandi stated that his visit to Beirut, where he arrived on Saturday, aims to express solidarity with Lebanon in these challenging circumstances and support humanitarian efforts for displaced Lebanese. He mentioned that the UNHCR is providing displaced Lebanese with medical supplies and food and will extend cash assistance to approximately 200,000 people.
In response, Mikati emphasized that "the only solution to end these suffering is an immediate ceasefire, the cessation of Israeli aggression and the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, which lays the groundwork for the return of displaced persons to their original areas and for maintaining stability." He also urged the UNHCR to coordinate "seriously" with Syrian authorities and the international community to resolve the "crisis" of Syrian migrants and refugees in Lebanon and ensure their return to Syria.