Roundup: Lebanon receives humanitarian aid from several countries, UN agency

BEIRUT, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) — Lebanon received humanitarian aid from several countries and a UN agency on Tuesday amid escalating Hezbollah-Israeli tensions.
The German Embassy in Lebanon announced on the social media platform X that it has provided an additional 62 million euros (68 million U.S. dollars) in humanitarian aid to Lebanon, bringing the total assistance to 113 million euros this year.
“Civilians always suffer the most in conflict situations… Our support aims to provide relief to the most vulnerable groups,” it stated.
The South Korean Embassy in Lebanon also reported on X that the South Korean government has decided to provide 3 million dollars in humanitarian aid to Lebanon to support civilians affected by the armed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Additionally, a French military plane arrived on Tuesday at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport with a shipment of aid, medicines, and medical supplies provided by France, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA).
On the same day, Qatari Minister of State for International Cooperation Lolwah Al-Khater visited Lebanon and announced that Qatar has opened an air bridge for aid from Doha to Beirut, expecting to send 10 planes loaded with medical supplies, shelter, and food during this month.
“I reiterate the solidarity and support of the State of Qatar for this brotherly country, dear to the hearts of all Arabs,” Al-Khater stated in a video she reposted on X.
During a meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi in Syria on Tuesday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad expressed his country’s readiness to cooperate with international organizations, particularly the UNHCR, to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, despite the significant challenges Syria is already facing.
Meanwhile, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement on Tuesday that it is providing 167 metric tons of medical supplies for about 2 million people, especially women and children, affected by the rapidly escalating conflict in Lebanon.
In the past three days, UNICEF has delivered 67 metric tons of medical supplies via land and air routes funded by Britain, boosting the resources available to health teams, the statement added.
“Hospitals are struggling under the strain of this tragic increase in cases,” said UNICEF Representative in Lebanon Edouard Beigbeder. “More medical supplies are urgently needed to ensure that the women and children of Lebanon receive the lifesaving care they need.”
Since Sept. 23, Israel has launched an intensive air campaign on Lebanon, dubbed “Arrows of the North,” marking a significant escalation with Hezbollah. This recent escalation has caused great casualties and displaced hundreds of thousands of people across Lebanon.
The cross-border exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel, which began on Oct. 8, 2023, have raised concerns of a wider conflict amid the ongoing Hamas-Israel war in Gaza. ■