The World Food Programme announced the emergency operation to provide food to one million people affected by the heightened conflict in Lebanon amid ongoing Israeli strikes on the country.
Lebanon is at a breaking point and cannot endure another war, said WFP regional director Corinne Fleischer.
The Israeli military stated that the Air Force targeted dozens of Hezbollah terrorist sites in Lebanon, including rocket launchers aimed at Israel, structures where weapons were stored, and additional Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure. Apart from that, the military claimed the assassination of senior Hezbollah figure Nabil Kaouk.
The strikes come two days after Iran-backed group leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in bombings outside Beirut. The assassination marked a sharp worsening of the situation after nearly a year of mutual shelling across the border between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Nasrallah’s assassination was a necessary step toward “changing the balance of power in the region for years to come.” US President Joe Biden described Nasrallah’s death as a measure of justice for his many victims, which included thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese.
On Saturday, the Health Ministry of Lebanon stated that 33 people lost their lives due to Israeli strikes. More than 1,000 people in Lebanon have died and more than 6,000 have suffered injuries in Israeli attacks in the past two weeks, the health ministry said earlier.
The organisation announced the launch of an emergency operation to provide food to one million people in Lebanon. In a statement, the agency said ready-to-eat food rations, bread, hot lunches and food parcels have been distributed to shelters across the country.
Matthew Hollingworth, the Lebanon programme’s country director, informed that the international community needed to mobilise $105 million to fund the operation until the end of the year. He said: “In just a few days, WFP assistance has reached thousands of newly displaced people. As the crisis deepens, we are preparing to assist up to one million people through a mix of cash and food support.”
