EU reaffirms strong humanitarian commitment to Lebanon as official visits Beirut
Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, is in Lebanon this Friday and Saturday to welcome the seventh humanitarian flight landing in Beirut. This Humanitarian Air Bridge will deliver essential health and shelter items – from the EU's own stock and its partners – to the most vulnerable, reaffirming the European Union's solidarity with Lebanon and steadfast humanitarian support to the country.
The Commissioner is meeting with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri, as well as humanitarian partners on the ground: United Nations agencies, local and international humanitarian actors, and women-led associations. The Commissioner is also visiting EU-funded projects, including shelters, a reception center for Syrian refugees, a children's hospital, a Palestinian refugee camp, and heavily affected areas.
Since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon in March 2026, the EU has mobilized substantial support. It has provided €100 million in humanitarian assistance to Lebanon in 2026, bringing total humanitarian assistance to the country to €1 billion since 2011. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism – which Lebanon has activated, as any country worldwide can do in times of crisis – has also facilitated the delivery of critical items from Member States, including Belgium, Germany, France, and Romania. Finally, the EU and its partners have delivered assistance via six EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flights to date. The emergency humanitarian aid provided so far has included food, medical kits, shelter materials, and clothing kits.
Three million people –over half of the Lebanese population– were already in need of humanitarian assistance before the recent hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. Thousands have since been killed or injured, over one million have been displaced, and nearly one in four are expected to face acute food insecurity between April and August this year. The EU remains fully in solidarity with the people in Lebanon and stands ready to deliver more humanitarian supplies, with additional operations scheduled in the coming weeks.
