The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Sunday the initiation of an emergency operation to supply meals for one million individuals impacted by the intensifying conflict in Lebanon.
"The recent surge in hostilities this past weekend highlighted the urgent requirement for a humanitarian response," the Rome-based agency stated in a release, detailing the distribution of ready-to-eat food rations, bread, hot meals, and food parcels to various shelters nationwide.
Israel, on the same day, declared that it was conducting fresh air strikes against numerous Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, just two days after eliminating the Iran-backed group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in bombing raids near Beirut.
Nasrallah's death signified a significant escalation in the nearly year-long cycle of cross-border attacks between Israel and Hezbollah, which intensified following Hamas's unprecedented assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The WFP noted that the bombing in Lebanon is "exacerbating the vulnerability of a population already grappling with multiple crises." "In a matter of days, WFP aid has reached thousands of newly displaced individuals," stated Matthew Hollingworth, the programme's country director for Lebanon.
"As the crisis escalates, we are gearing up to support up to one million people through a combination of cash and food assistance," he added, urging the international community to raise $105 million to fund the operation until the end of the year.
"Lebanon is on the brink and cannot withstand another war," emphasized Corinne Fleischer, the WFP's regional director.
