UN raises Lebanon aid appeal as war deepens humanitarian crisis

BEIRUT: The United Nations said on Friday it is sharply increasing its humanitarian funding request for Lebanon as the war enters its fourth month and needs continue to grow across the country.

The UN said it will launch a revised appeal with the Lebanese government seeking an additional $331.5 million to assist 1.4 million people. That takes the total appeal to $639.9 million. The organisation said it had received $185.9 million by May 31.

According to the UN, Lebanon was pulled into the broader regional conflict in early March when the Iran-backed Hezbollah group fired rockets at Israel in solidarity with Iran, which was under US-Israeli attack. That was followed by a major Israeli air and ground campaign.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Imran Riza said communities across Lebanon have endured severe conditions during the recent escalation.

""In the past three months, communities across Lebanon have faced an appalling ​situation due to the escalation of hostilities," UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator ​Imran Riza said. "The toll on civilians is alarming and worsening by the day.""

Rising casualties and displacement

Since March 2, more than 3,500 people have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to Lebanese authorities. The official figures do not separate civilians from combatants.

Riza said he met a family in the southern city of Tyre, an area heavily hit by Israeli strikes, that had been displaced five times. He also said airstrikes and scorched farmland had damaged hospitals and clinics.

Food insecurity worsening

The UN said the crisis is rapidly undermining food security in Lebanon. Nearly one in four people in the country, around 1.24 million individuals, are expected to face crisis and emergency levels of food insecurity through August, according to the organisation.

The announcement came days after a new US-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon was announced on Wednesday. The arrangement was contingent on Hezbollah leaving southern areas, but the group rejected it and Israel said it would not pull its troops out of the country.