Egypt, Ireland, EU to send humanitarian aid to Lebanon

Egypt, Ireland and the European Union announced Tuesday that they are sending humanitarian aid to Lebanon, as the country is mired in a new war between Hezbollah and Israel that has killed 570 people, injured 1,444 and displaced more than 759,000 in one week.

President Joseph Aoun received a phone call on Tuesday from his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who announced the dispatch of relief aid for displaced families, while Brussels and Dublin, for their part, have released tons of supplies and millions of euros to help affected populations.

"President Sisi informed President Aoun that Egypt had decided to send humanitarian aid to Lebanon in order to support efforts to care for those displaced from their homes by Israeli hostile acts," the Lebanese presidency said on its X account.

The Egyptian president also assured President Aoun of "his country's support for Lebanon, at the level of government, people and army, and of the Egyptian people's solidarity with their Lebanese brothers as they face the hardships they are going through."

Meanwhile, the European Union announced the delivery of 45 tons of humanitarian aid for the displaced in Lebanon. "As hostilities continue to intensify across the country and population displacement increases, the European Union, through its support of UNICEF, has delivered 45 tons of emergency supplies to help families affected by the conflict," wrote the EU delegation to Lebanon on its website.

These supplies were handed over to the Social Development Ministry "to respond to urgent humanitarian needs."

The shipment includes first-aid kits, blankets, winter clothing, plastic mats, water tanks, adolescent kits, early childhood development kits, recreational kits and other essential items "aimed at supporting displaced children and families." This aid will be distributed in shelter centers.

For his part, Foreign Minister Joe Rajji was informed by Ireland's ambassador accredited in Lebanon and Egypt, Aiden O’Hara, that his country had released 3 million euros in humanitarian aid. Rajji reaffirmed to his counterpart "the Lebanese government’s commitment to finding ways to end the Israeli escalation," as well as its refusal of any Iranian interference in its internal affairs and its contribution to plunging the country once again into a war that "it has not chosen."

Israeli bombings in Lebanon have killed 570 people, injured 1,444 and displaced 759,300, according to the latest figures published Tuesday by the Health Ministry.