Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The European Commission announced the provision of 10 million euros in additional humanitarian aid to help people in Lebanon affected by the ongoing escalation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. In a statement issued in Brussels last night, the European Commission said, "This emergency funding aims to address the most urgent needs such as protection, food assistance, shelter and health care. The European Union stands ready to provide further support by mobilizing all available emergency response tools, including through the use of the Civil Protection Mechanism.

In total, in 2024, the European Union provided 74 million euros in humanitarian aid to help vulnerable populations in Lebanon, including this allocation. The European statement added, "The conflict has caused the displacement of the population in Lebanon from areas adjacent to Israel, with the latest data indicating at least 90,530 new displaced persons in Lebanon in addition to nearly 112,000 displaced persons since October 2023. There are already hundreds of civilian casualties and injuries.
People in Lebanon, including refugees, were already suffering from high levels of poverty and food insecurity with limited access to services.
It is estimated that nearly 2 million Lebanese and Syrian refugees are food insecure. This number is expected to rise further.
Since 2011, the EU has allocated over €941 million in humanitarian aid to respond to the urgent needs of the population, both Lebanese and refugees.
As the situation for the Lebanese population has deteriorated more broadly, and especially since 2019, EU humanitarian assistance is being delivered to both the most vulnerable Syrians and Lebanese.
The EU also organised a series of conferences in Brussels on Syria to address the needs of Syrian refugees and host communities in Lebanon. “Through our humanitarian funding, we support vulnerable populations to meet their basic needs through healthcare, education, protection and legal services,” said the statement from the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.