The United Nations warned on Friday that its emergency appeal for humanitarian aid in Lebanon has received only 17 percent of the requested US$426 million (RM1.86 billion), urging countries to swiftly fulfill their pledges with immediate funds to address the worsening crisis. Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), highlighted the rapidly deteriorating situation in Lebanon, emphasizing that “pledges alone do not provide food, medicine or shelter.”
Despite commitments made at a donor conference hosted by France last month where US$800 million was pledged, only US$73 million has been received so far. Italy has contributed the largest amount with US$17 million, followed by the United States (US$11.7 million), Sweden (US$9.3 million), France (US$7.2 million), Britain (US$6.4 million) and Germany (US$5.5 million). Laerke stressed the urgency of converting these pledges into cash to enable OCHA to deliver aid directly on the ground.
The crisis in Lebanon has intensified with recent escalations between Israel and Hizbollah, resulting in increased cross-border attacks since September 23. According to the Lebanese health ministry, at least 1,829 people have been killed. The violence has also forced more than 460,000 people to flee to Syria with another 25,000 seeking refuge in Iraq, according to UN and Syrian Red Crescent data.
Additionally, Lebanon is facing substantial internal displacement. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that, as of Wednesday, over 842,000 people have been displaced within Lebanon itself. In the last week alone, 18,525 new displacements were recorded with individuals experiencing either their first displacement or relocating multiple times due to the instability.
Laerke underscored the urgent need for timely financial support, noting that OCHA’s aid operations depend on immediate fund disbursements to meet Lebanon’s escalating humanitarian needs.
