Destruction of Lebanon-Syria border crossings in Israeli airstrikes creates difficulties
A stream of refugees fleeing Lebanon to Syria crossed a narrow makeshift bridge on foot Sunday in the Qusair area of Syria’s Homs province after the official border crossing was put out of commission by an Israeli strike two days earlier.Only three functioning crossings remain between the countries, which share a border 375 kilometers (233 mi) long.In late September, an Israeli airstrike hit the border crossing of Matraba in Lebanon’s northeast, forcing it to close. A few weeks later came a strike on Masnaa, the main crossing between the two countries, putting it out of service. The Jousieh...
Macron pledges €100 million for Lebanon at Paris aid conference
French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged €100 million ($108 million) in emergency humanitarian aid to crisis-ravaged Lebanon, where Israel is waging a ground and air offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. "The war must end as soon as possible, we need a ceasefire in Lebanon," Macron said at an international aid conference in Paris on Thursday. He assured the country and its people of support in times of need and in rebuilding "a free, sovereign Lebanon." The United Nations has estimated the immediate emergency aid needed for the country at €400 million. Macron lamented the growing number of civilian casualties due to Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon and in the capital Beirut. Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, said in Paris that Israel's attacks threatened the country's existence and have caused massive damage to the infrastructure and economy, in addition to displacing hundreds of thousands of people. "We need an immediate ceasefire," he said.
France targets 500 million euros for Lebanon at Paris meeting, ministry says
PARIS (Reuters) - France is hoping that a meeting on Thursday of some 70 delegations to support Lebanon will raise about 500 million euros ($540 million) in humanitarian aid, according to a foreign ministry framework document for the conference.
UN highlights plight of refugees fleeing Lebanon for war-torn Syria
The UN refugee agency on Friday highlighted the plight of refugees fleeing Lebanon amid the conflict between Israel and the Iranian-back Hezbollah militia. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in Geneva that 430,000 people have fled to Syria alone since Israeli forces stepped up their offensive. However, border crossings have also been attacked, causing dangers for both refugees and UN staff. In the latest incident on Friday, a war monitor reported three people killed in an Israeli strike at a crossing between Syria and Lebanon. "The suffering of those people crossing does not end at the border," said UNHCR spokeswoman Rula Amin, with a humanitarian catastrophe facing them in Syria. The country's infrastructure has been severely damaged since civil war broke out against President Bashar al-Assad's regime following Arab Spring protests in 2011. More than 90% of the Syrian population itself requires humanitarian aid, Amin said. "These people are going to areas, towns and villages that have been really battered over the past 13 years," she added.