Geneva (agencies)
Matthew Hollingsworth, Director of the United Nations World Food Program Office in Lebanon, announced yesterday that more than 1.2 million people have been affected by the current crisis in Lebanon, as hundreds of thousands have been displaced from seven areas in the front areas in the south of the country on the border with Israel, in addition to the southern suburbs. For Beirut.
He pointed out that there are now 973 official shelters inside Beirut in the north of the country, in which more than 200,000 registered people live, and that 773 of these shelters are completely overcrowded, even though they are not equipped to deal with the huge numbers who have taken refuge in them. He pointed out that the organization was able, since the first days, to reach about 150,000 people, and provided them with hot meals and ready-to-eat rations, noting that the organization needs at this stage to reach approximately one million people daily.
He said that the organization’s needs are very great to move forward, “We have a funding gap of $115 million,” noting that the organization has begun to receive positive pledges, and has already obtained funding from some major donors before the escalation, as it was able to store some food supplies throughout the country. The country and allocate some money for emergency transfers.
European Union foreign policy official Josep Borrell said that the situation in Lebanon is getting worse day by day, and stressed the need to reach a ceasefire. He added before the European Parliament that about 20 percent of the Lebanese were forced to flee, according to the numbers.
UN officials concerned with the humanitarian field also called for urgent steps to be taken to stop the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, warning that Lebanon may face a “death spiral” similar to that experienced by the Gaza Strip over the past year.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization in Beirut warned yesterday of the risk of disease outbreaks in Lebanon due to overcrowding conditions in refugee shelters and the closure of hospitals as paramedics fled the Israeli attack.
Ian Clark, a World Health Organization official in Lebanon, said: “We are facing a situation in which the likelihood of outbreaks of diseases, such as acute watery diarrhea, hepatitis A, and a number of diseases that can be prevented with vaccines, is increasing.”
Clark added that the organization has already warned that the system is overburdened and that five hospitals in Lebanon are out of service and four other hospitals are operating inefficiently as a result of the hostilities. He said hospitals were closed because medics either fled the fighting or were asked to evacuate by authorities.
Medical supplies
At the same conference, a World Food Program official expressed concern about Lebanon’s ability to provide for itself, and said that thousands of acres of agricultural land in the south of the country had been burned or abandoned amid escalating hostilities.
“In terms of agriculture and food production, there is extraordinary concern about Lebanon’s ability to continue to feed itself,” said Matthew Hollingsworth, director of the World Food Program in Lebanon, adding that crops will not be harvested and mold will affect production in the fields.
In addition, China announced sending emergency medical supplies to Lebanon to help it implement medical aid. South Korea also provided three million dollars to Lebanon in response to Lebanon’s “urgent appeal,” while Germany announced the provision of 62 million euros in humanitarian aid.
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