UN plans to provide up to $65M in humanitarian aid to 800,000 Lebanese

Lebanese President Michel Aoun receives WFP executive director David Beasley and his delegation at Baabda Presidential Palace

The head of the UN World Food Program (WFP) said Thursday that they plan to provide $60 million to $65 million in aid to 800,000 Lebanese people.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun received WFP Executive Director David Beasley and his delegation at the Baabda Presidential Palace in the capital Beirut, according to Lebanon’s official news agency NNA.

Confirming that the WFP is determined to continue providing aid to Lebanon, Beasley noted that they hope to increase aid to include the 800,000 Lebanese in two months.

He went on to say that contacts continue with donor countries to increase their financial contributions.

Meanwhile, President Aoun said the poverty rate in the country is approximately 74% of the total population and may reach 82% if necessary steps are not taken.

Mentioning the importance of the WFP, he underlined that he hoped that it would succeed in its work to reach the goal of helping 1.6 million Lebanese by May.

Since late 2019, Lebanon has been grappling with some of the severest domestic challenges, including currency devaluation in which the Lebanese pound lost almost all of its value against the US dollar along with shortages of fuel and medicine.

Figures show that over six million Lebanese live in Lebanon while 16 million live in the diaspora.