Emergency Aid for Lebanon – Latest Update
Aid operations have picked up again under difficult conditions
After our team was temporarily forced to suspend supplies to a soup kitchen for refugees in Tyros, we have now been able to resume our aid efforts. Destroyed bridges and ongoing heavy attacks had made access to the city impossible. We have since managed to deliver food to Tyros again and continue providing support to those affected.
Rising prices are exacerbating the crisis
The situation in the country remains extremely tense. Due to Lebanon’s increasing isolation and the enormous need for supplies for internally displaced persons, prices for food and daily necessities are rising rapidly. Many families can barely afford the bare necessities. Our team is therefore focusing on ensuring at least basic supplies. We regularly visit makeshift shelters in the greater Saida area to provide people with food.
First signs of return in the south
At the same time, a cautious movement is emerging in the south of the country: Since a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect, thousands of displaced people have begun returning to their hometowns. Key transportation links are also being gradually restored. For example, the Lebanese Army has been able to partially reopen access to the bridge between Burj Rahal and Tyre. This is a crucial prerequisite for our aid convoys.
Fragile security situation persists
Yet the situation remains fragile. Reports indicate that the Israeli military continues to create military facts on the ground in the border area. South of the Litani River, a strip approximately 20 kilometers wide is said to remain under military control. In this area, villages are apparently being systematically destroyed to prevent the population from returning. At the same time, both the Israeli military and representatives of Hezbollah are warning the civilian population against returning to the affected areas. Senior Hezbollah representative Mahmud Qamati warned residents against returning: “Israeli betrayal can be expected at any time, and this is only a temporary ceasefire.”
Aid remains urgently needed
For the people on the ground, this means great uncertainty. Many do not know if or when they will be able to return to their homes permanently. Our work therefore remains urgently needed. We will continue to do everything in our power to provide the people in southern Lebanon with the essentials. We do this flexibly, directly, and in a way that adapts to the constantly changing situation.