EU launches humanitarian air bridge to Lebanon
The European Union is launching an air bridge to bring humanitarian aid to Lebanon, the Commission announced on Wednesday. The first three flights will carry hygiene items, blankets and emergency shelter kits, among other items.
The escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has plunged Lebanon into crisis, with Israeli bombing forcing more than 400,000 people to flee to neighbouring Syria in less than two weeks.
The EU is "mobilising all the emergency response tools at its disposal to support people affected by the ongoing crisis", the Commission said. The scheduled flights will depart from Brindisi, Italy, and Dubai, with the first flight expected to arrive in Beirut on Friday.
In addition, humanitarian aid from Spain, Slovakia, Poland, France, and Belgium has been delivered to Lebanon in recent days through the EU civil protection mechanism, with the EU financing the transport costs.
On Wednesday, a Belgian military flight to evacuate Belgians and other Europeans left for Lebanon carrying medical equipment worth 150,000 euros, which will be distributed to hospitals.
Humanitarian aid for Lebanon provided by Qatar and France is loaded onto a military aircraft in Doha on October 8, 2024 © PHOTO CALLUM PATON / AFP
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