More Than Half of Lebanon Relies on Aid Amid Ongoing Israeli Strikes: EU Official

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – More than half of Lebanon’s population now depends on humanitarian assistance to survive as Israeli attacks continue despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah, European Union crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib said on Friday.

Speaking after meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Beirut, Lahbib said over three million people in Lebanon require humanitarian aid.

“At present, more than three million people, meaning more than half of the population here in Lebanon, depend on humanitarian aid to survive,” she told reporters.

Lahbib said the European Union has provided 100 million euros in assistance since the war began on March 2 and has dispatched six humanitarian aid flights to Lebanon, with a seventh expected on Saturday.

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli strikes since early March have killed more than 2,700 people and displaced over one million others.

The United Nations launched an emergency appeal in March seeking $308 million in aid for Lebanon, but UN agencies say only $126 million has been secured so far.

Describing the ceasefire as opening “a narrow window of hope,” Lahbib called on Hezbollah to halt its attacks and surrender its weapons, while urging Israel to stop its bombardment campaign.

“For a ceasefire to lead to peace, courage is needed — political courage to address the root causes of this conflict,” she said.

Meanwhile, Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold a third round of talks in Washington next week aimed at ending the conflict, despite Hezbollah’s opposition to direct negotiations.