UN seeks $308 million in aid for Lebanon

(Patria) - The United Nations yesterday requested $308 million in aid for Lebanon to cope with the humanitarian consequences of the war, in which more than 800,000 residents have left their homes.

- Solidarity in words must be accompanied by solidarity in action - said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who announced the campaign from Beirut.

Israel launched an offensive against Hezbollah last week after the Lebanese pro-Iranian militant group opened fire on them on March 2, saying it was avenging the assassination of the Iranian supreme leader.

Hezbollah has continued with daily rocket and drone attacks, while Israel has expanded its ground operations and airstrikes. It bombed the Lebanese city of Beirut on Thursday, as well as other parts of the country on Friday.

Nearly 700 people have been killed in the attacks, and more than 800,000 have been displaced following Israeli warnings for residents to take shelter.

However, humanitarian organizations say that financial constraints have already forced them to ration supplies and that new contributions are crucial.

- We are targeting only those who are truly on the brink of starvation or starving. As needs increase, resources must also increase, they must not decrease - said Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme, to Reuters.

Humanitarian organizations have warned that global crises have limited their response in Lebanon, a country already hard hit by the 2019 economic crisis, the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and the 2024 Hezbollah-Israel war.

Skau added that the World Food Programme fears that donor governments will face new budget constraints after global energy prices have sharply increased due to the war in the Middle East.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) announced in September that it had received only 25 percent of the resources needed for Lebanon in 2025, forcing it to reduce cash assistance programs.

The humanitarian group Solidarites International has already recorded a drop in grants, said its Lebanon director Daniele Regazzi.

- If new financial resources are not secured, what we are currently using as an emergency response... will disappear in the next few weeks - added Regazzi.