BRUSSELS, Oct 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Union said it was giving an extra 30 million euros of humanitarian aid to Lebanon as fighting raged between Israel and Hezbollah.
“Today, we are stepping up our humanitarian aid to the people of Lebanon,” said European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
“Our new funding will ensure civilians receive much needed assistance during this very difficult time.
“I am extremely concerned by the constant escalation of tensions in the Middle East. All parties must do their utmost to protect the lives of innocent civilians.”
The latest EU aid package comes on top of 10 million euros announced over the weekend, taking the bloc’s humanitarian assistance for Lebanon to over 100 million euros this year.
Israel has been carrying out a bombing campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon and has sent its troops across the border.
The Israeli bombardments in Lebanon have claimed more than 1,000 lives and seen Hezbollah’s long-time chief Hassan Nasrallah killed in an air strike.
The authorities in Lebanon say that the Israeli strikes have forced around a million people to flee their homes.
Meanwhile in GENEVA, the World Health Organization chief warned that Lebanon’s health system was struggling to keep up, after Israel escalated airstrikes and launched ground raids into the country.
“The death toll in Lebanon is rising, and hospitals are overwhelmed with the influx of injured patients,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on X.
“The health system has been weakened by successive crises and is struggling to cope with the immense needs,” he said, adding that WHO was scaling up its response.
Israel shifted its focus last month from the war in Gaza, which was sparked by the Oct 7 attacks by Iran-backed Hamas, to securing its northern border with Lebanon.
More than 1,000 people have died since last week, in fighting that has included Israeli strikes on Beirut and its southern suburbs.
Tedros said that he had met with Arab League ambassadors in Geneva to discuss the situation.
“We agreed that patients, health workers and civilians, including refugees, must be protected and offered the health care they need,” he said.
He stressed that WHO had been working closely with the Lebanese health ministry “to ensure hospitals have enough medical supplies and health workers are trained for mass casualty events, as well as to maintain essential health services for the most vulnerable”.
“But more help is needed.” he said.
Tedros insisted though that “what the people of Lebanon, Gaza, Israel and throughout the Middle East need is peace”.
“The violence must end to prevent more loss and suffering. Any further escalation of the conflict will have catastrophic consequences for the region,” he warned.
“The best medicine is peace.” — NNN-AGENCIES
