Sweden Commits 65 Million SEK to Aid Lebanon Amid Acute Humanitarian Crisis

Sweden has pledged 65 million SEK (around $6 million) in humanitarian aid to Lebanon in response to the escalating crisis caused by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. This funding aims to support approximately 800,000 displaced Lebanese, addressing critical needs such as emergency housing, food supplies, clean water, sanitation, and hygiene kits.

Sweden's Minister for International Development Cooperation, Benjamin Dousa, described the humanitarian situation in Lebanon as "very acute," emphasizing the urgency for immediate assistance. He noted that conditions were already severe before the recent Israeli military offensive.

More than 70% of Lebanon's population currently requires humanitarian support, underscoring the scale of the crisis. The Swedish aid package will partly be allocated to United Nations agencies, including the UN's refugee agency and humanitarian fund for Lebanon, as well as to organizations like the International Red Cross, Save the Children, and the Lebanese Red Cross.

The deteriorating safety conditions for aid workers were highlighted by Dousa, mentioning that a member of the Lebanese Red Cross was killed in an Israeli attack on March 11. Sweden's response follows a United Nations appeal for urgent assistance to internally displaced persons in the region.

This aid aims to provide essential relief through emergency housing and food, alongside sanitation and hygiene support, in a country where the humanitarian need has reached unprecedented levels.