Imran Riza, U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon. (Credit: National News Agency)
The U.N.'s humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, announced on Friday the "allocation of 30 million dollars from the Humanitarian Fund for Lebanon."
These funds will be dedicated to financing "urgent humanitarian needs related to the recent escalation of hostilities" and providing material aid to "affected individuals, including remaining displaced persons and those returning to affected areas," details the announcement cited by the National News Agency (NNA).
The United Nations and the Lebanese government had launched a new appeal for donations on Tuesday amounting to 371.4 million dollars to address the urgent humanitarian needs of the population affected by the recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. This war, which lasted more than 14 months, has resulted in, according to the Health Ministry, human losses estimated at at least 4,047 people killed and 14,655 injured, in addition to more than one million displaced persons.
8.5 Billion in damages according to the World Bank
"While the cessation of hostilities offers hope, more than 125,000 people remain displaced, and hundreds of thousands more face immense challenges in rebuilding their lives," commented Imran Riza in a previous statement.
Moreover, significant damage to homes and civilian infrastructure, particularly essential services such as health, water and sanitation, has been recorded by Lebanese authorities. According to a report by the World Bank, the destruction caused by Israeli aggressions in Lebanon amounts to approximately 8.5 billion dollars and has caused damage to nearly 100,000 homes.
This 30 million dollar aid will be allocated to the U.N.'s 'humanitarian partners,' namely local and international NGOs present in Lebanon, as well as local institutions, to provide more humanitarian assistance to the populations most affected by the fighting. "Humanitarian aid is today an essential lifeline for many communities. It will focus on food security, shelter, protection, healthcare, water, sanitation and education," specified Riza.
A one billion dollar package was released in November at the Paris conference, with 700 million for humanitarian aid and 300 million dedicated to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
More recently, the Biden administration transferred over 100 million dollars in military aid earmarked for Israel and Egypt to Lebanon to bolster the cease-fire agreement it helped broker between Israel and Hezbollah.
In separate notices sent to Congress on Jan. 3, the State Department indicated that it was transferring 95 million dollars in military aid allocated to Egypt and 7.5 million dollars allocated to Israel to support the Lebanese Army and its government.