The United Nations launched a $308 million flash appeal on Friday to help Lebanon cope with the fallout of a war that has forced more than a seventh of its population from their homes.
"Solidarity in words must be matched by solidarity in action," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said as he announced the campaign from Beirut.
Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel on March 2, claiming it was attempting to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader. In retaliation, Israel began targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Hezbollah has kept up daily rocket and drone attacks against Israeli territory and civilian areas, while Israel has expanded its ground operations and air strikes, bombing terror infrastructure in the capital on Thursday, along with other parts of the country on Friday.
More than 800,000 Lebanese citizens have been displaced due to evacuation warnings released by Israel prior to strikes on Lebanese areas where civilians may be present.
But aid organizations say funding constraints have already forced them to ration supplies and that substantial new contributions are essential.
"We're only targeting those who are really on the verge of starvation or in starvation," said Carl Skau, the World Food Programme's deputy executive director.
"There isn't any more margin, so with needs going up, resources will have to come up - and they can certainly not drop," Skau told Reuters.
'Tight funding landscape'
Humanitarian organizations say global crises have restricted their response in Lebanon, a country already hit hard by a 2019 economic collapse, the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and the 2024 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Skau said the WFP fears donor governments will face new budget constraints following the spike in global energy prices triggered by the Iran war.
The UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, last September said it had only received 25% of the resources required for Lebanon in 2025, forcing it to slash cash assistance programs.
"The current spike or the current escalation of hostilities compounds an already tight funding landscape," said Kirollos Fares, Lebanon country director at humanitarian organization Medair.
Aid group Solidarités International had already seen a drop in both the number and size of grants, said Lebanon country director Daniele Regazzi.
“...Unless fresh money comes out, what we are deploying now as emergency response...will be gone in the next roughly couple of weeks," he said.