EU Pledges Over €450 Million in Humanitarian Aid to Multiple Middle Eastern Countries
The European Union has announced over €450 million in humanitarian aid for several countries in the Middle East, as regional instability continues to escalate. The funding comes amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and a broader humanitarian crisis affecting the region.
The aid package will be distributed to countries facing significant humanitarian challenges, though specific allocations were not immediately detailed. This announcement underscores growing regional tensions and the EU’s commitment to addressing the humanitarian consequences of conflict.
The EU is also providing support directly to Lebanon, which is described as being “on the brink of collapse.” EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell recently called for an “immediate ceasefire” between Israel and Hezbollah during a visit to Beirut on November 24, 2024, where he met with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. “We see the only way forward as an immediate ceasefire and full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701,” Borrell stated, according to reports.
Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, requires the Lebanese army and UN peacekeeping forces to be the only armed presence in southern Lebanon, while also calling for Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory. Borrell noted that during a visit in September, he hoped to prevent a full-scale Israeli invasion of Lebanon, but that “two months later, Lebanon is on the verge of collapse.”
The EU is prepared to provide €200 million in support for the Lebanese army, with its full deployment along the border seen as a key condition for achieving a ceasefire.
France and the United States are actively working to negotiate a ceasefire. U.S. Envoy Amos Hochstein visited Lebanon and Israel this week in an attempt to broker an agreement based on Resolution 1701. Borrell emphasized the need to put pressure on both the Israeli government and Hezbollah to accept the U.S.-proposed ceasefire.
In addition to the EU’s financial commitment, aid is being delivered through other channels. Sardinia, Italy, transported 13 tons of humanitarian aid to thousands of displaced people in Lebanon, according to L’Unione Sarda.it.
The EU has allocated €4.58 billion in aid due to two conflicts instigated by Israel, VOI.id reported.
As of November 24, 2024, Israel has launched multiple airstrikes across Lebanon, including in Beirut, and increased troop presence in a self-defined “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon. Lebanese officials reported 570 deaths from Israeli airstrikes in the past week, while the Israeli military claims to have killed over 200 Hezbollah militants during the same period, according to NetEase.
