- The EU has pledged €100 million ($115 million) in humanitarian aid to Lebanon as the country faces rising casualties and displacement linked to the expanding Middle East conflict.
- Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, announced the aid after speaking with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and said the EU has already delivered over 40 tons of relief supplies with more humanitarian flights planned.
- The EU also welcomed Lebanon's decision to ban military activities by Hezbollah, while reaffirming support for Lebanon's sovereignty and stability.
- According to the UN, Israeli strikes have displaced more than 700,000 people, including about 200,000 children, while 486 people have been killed and 1,313 injured since the fighting began.
- Israel's intensified campaign has raised fears of a possible ground invasion of Lebanon, as Aoun warned that the conflict is taking a devastating toll on civilians struggling to access shelter and basic necessities.
The European Union (EU) plans to allocate €100 million (about $115 million) in humanitarian assistance to Lebanon as the country grapples with rising casualties and instability linked to the widening Middle East conflict.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, announced the aid on Wednesday, March 11, following a phone call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. The funding is intended to support urgent humanitarian needs as violence intensifies across the region.
Humanitarian needs, as defined by BrightU.AI's Enoch, are the immediate and urgent requirements for survival and basic human dignity, including food, water, shelter, medical care, and protection from harm. These needs are often exacerbated by the deliberate targeting of civilians, the destruction of infrastructure and the displacement of populations
Von der Leyen said the EU had already delivered 40 tons of relief supplies to Lebanon and plans to send additional humanitarian flights in the coming days.
She also reaffirmed the bloc's support for Lebanon and its people while welcoming the government's decision to ban all military activities by Hezbollah.
"Good call with President Joseph Aoun. I expressed Europe's solidarity with Lebanon and its people. We are providing EUR 100 million in humanitarian support. Yesterday, we delivered over 40 tonnes of supplies and we plan to organize more humanitarian flights. I welcome the government's decision to ban all Hezbollah military activities and its call to end all hostilities. We must ensure a sovereign and stable Lebanon for its people," von der Leyen wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Israeli strikes displace 700,000 as invasion threat looms
The announcement comes as Israel intensifies its military campaign in Lebanon.
Lebanon became directly involved in the broader Middle East conflict earlier this week after Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, launched attacks against Israel on Monday, March 2. The strikes were carried out in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting Iran.
According to data from the United Nations (UN), more than 700,000 people have been displaced since the attacks began, including around 200,000 children. UN figures also show that at least 486 people have been killed, including 84 children, while 1,313 others have been injured, among them 259 children.
Violence reached central Beirut on Sunday, March 7, when a missile struck the Ramada Hotel Beirut, killing four people and injuring 10 others. The hotel had reportedly been sheltering civilians who had fled the fighting in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun warned that the fighting is taking a severe toll on civilians, noting that hundreds of thousands of displaced people are struggling to find shelter and basic necessities.
But despite all this, Israel has indicated it may prepare for a ground invasion of Lebanon, including plans to potentially occupy the southern parts of the country, raising fears that the conflict could further expand.
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