In light of the escalating conflicts in Lebanon, the World Food Programme (Welthungerhilfe) has called on the German government to significantly increase its aid to the country. Bettina Iseli, Executive Director of the organization, informed the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” that the humanitarian situation in Lebanon has deteriorated dramatically since the war began, warning that the country risks slipping into a perpetual crisis. This assessment is against a backdrop of an estimated million internally displaced persons, representing one-fifth of the total population.
Iseli urged the Federal Government to provide substantially more humanitarian assistance and to advocate for a permanent ceasefire and a political resolution to the conflict. Her comments were made ahead of a planned trip by Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan (SPD) to Lebanon on Monday and Tuesday, where she intends to visit refugee camps among other locations. The German government had previously provided 70 million euros to Lebanon in March following the start of the war, intended for the care of refugees.
Iseli noted that 3,000 people had been killed and 9,000 injured so far. Currently, approximately 1.24 million people are suffering from acute food insecurity. “War, displacement, and rising prices are pushing more and more families into hunger. Many parents no longer know how to feed their children” Iseli stated. Furthermore, schools have been converted into emergency shelters, preventing many children from attending classes regularly.
Additionally, the organization observed that Lebanese communities and host families taking in displaced people are facing mounting pressure because healthcare services and social services are already severely strained. “Based on our experience, we know that the danger of social tension massively increases when people must endure for months without income and without sufficient humanitarian aid” warned the World Food Programme representative.
