Red Cross appeals for $115Mln to address Lebanon humanitarian crisis

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 Nov 2024 21:04

Funds are warneeded to support displaced populations and critical medical services as winter nears, IFRC Secretary-General Jagan Chapagain told reporters.

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Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP)

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) urgently appealed Tuesday for over $115 million to help meet Lebanon's spiraling humanitarian needs amid a devastating crisis fueled by intensified Israeli attacks on civilians.

The IFRC's call aims to provide both immediate and long-term aid to 600,000 people affected by the war and to support the Lebanese Red Cross's essential ambulance services.

"The needs are immense," stated IFRC Secretary-General Jagan Chapagain, who is currently in Beirut.

"Funds raised will allow the Lebanese Red Cross to sustain life-saving programs and reach far more people with far more positive impact."

The appeal, he said, is critical as Lebanon faces an increasing number of displaced people and the looming challenge of winter.

Amid continuous Israeli air strikes on Beirut, the South, and the Bekaa Valley since September 23—and the subsequent deployment of ground troops—a staggering 3,002 people have been martyred, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.

Over a million people have fled their homes, with at least 800,000 displaced within Lebanon and more than 500,000, mostly Syrians, seeking refuge across the border.

Returning home too dangerous

The IFRC highlighted the urgent need for basic supplies for the displaced, as returning home is too dangerous for them.

"We are seeing a huge need for goods to support hundreds of thousands who can't go back to their homes," said Lotte Ruppert, IFRC's operations manager in Beirut.

She expressed additional concerns over the safety of health workers and Lebanese Red Cross volunteers, particularly in Lebanon's volatile South.

The IFRC's appeal follows a donor conference in Paris last month that yielded $800 million in aid pledges, although the United Nations recently cautioned that these commitments still need to be converted to cash.

A separate UN appeal for $426 million for Lebanon, launched more than a month ago, remains just 17% funded.

With the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon worsening by the day, the IFRC is calling on international donors to act swiftly, warning that the lack of support could have dire consequences as winter approaches.