$16 million from EU
for humanitarian aid

Funding allocated to Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese

The European Commission (EC) said it has allocated €15 million ($16.1 million) for food assistance and for water, sanitation, and hygiene support to Syrian refugees and Lebanese in need.

Out of the total, €11.5 million was earmarked to support vulnerable Syrians (refugees in Lebanon and displaced inside Syria). The remaining €3.5 million was allocated to vulnerable Lebanese.

“The funding comes at a time when the recent violence escalation in the Middle East is increasingly affecting countries such as Syria and Lebanon already facing rising poverty levels, conflict, food insecurity, displacement, and disease outbreaks,” the EC said in a statement.

Nearly 3.9 million people in Lebanon, comprising 2.1 million vulnerable Lebanese and 1.5 million refugees, depend on humanitarian assistance. “Lebanon is affected by alarming levels of food insecurity, poor condition of the health system as well as failing of the education system. Inflation and lack of access to basic services are furtherly deteriorating the situation, affecting large parts of the population,” the statement read.

The new allocation brings total EU humanitarian assistance earmarked this year for Lebanese in need to over €67 million. The EU has allocated €2.7 billion in funding to Lebanon since 2011, including more than €867 million in humanitarian aid.