UN allocates additional funds to address situation in Lebanon

Given the worsening humanitarian needs in Lebanon, UN humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza announced an additional $2 million from the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund to address the deteriorating situation in the country, a UN spokesman said.

The new fund, which comes alongside a previous $10 million Central Emergency Response Fund allocated very recently, would bring the total allocation to $12 million so far, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres on Friday, at a daily briefing.

Dujarric said on the health front, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that the first flight with WHO medical supplies, enough to treat tens of thousands of injured people, has arrived in Beirut, Lebanon.

More flights are planned for Friday and in the coming days. Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) remains concerned about the safety and well-being of civilians as Lebanon experiences a surge in airstrikes and displacement orders.

There were new orders given by the Israelis in the south, for areas above the Litani River and areas such as El-Buss, which hosts a Palestinian refugee camp, that forced families to flee from areas previously considered safer, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Civilians on both sides of the Blue Line in Lebanon and Israel, must be allowed to live in peace and tranquillity," the spokesperson said. Beirut residential areas were once again subjected to intense overnight Israeli airstrikes, apparently injuring rescue workers. And strikes continued unabated in other parts of Lebanon. "The toll on civilians from this campaign is unacceptable," said Dujarric.

"The secretary-general is very concerned about the increasing toll on civilians that we are seeing across the immediate region," he said, urging all parties to do whatever they can to protect civilians and infrastructure and ensure that civilians are never harmed.

He said the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reports that within their area of operations, they still observe intense airstrikes and heavy clashes.

Significant exchanges of fire are occurring in Sector West, particularly Marun ar Ras, Yaroun and Bint Jbeil and in Sector East, focusing on the Khiam, Kafer Kila and El Adeisse areas.

"UNIFIL peacekeepers continue to remain in position despite the dangerous environment, while the intensity of fighting hampers their movement and ability to undertake the full range of their mandated tasks," said Dujarric.

The safety and security of UN peacekeepers "is a paramount priority and it is a shared responsibility for all parties," he said, adding that UNIFIL reiterates its call both for an immediate de-escalation and for the parties to immediately return to a cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701.