UN doubles appeal for Lebanon aid to nearly $640 mn amid Israel war

Key points

• The UN on Friday (June 5, 2026) more than doubled its aid appeal for Lebanon as the country reels from Israel's war against Iran-backed Hezbollah, saying nearly $640 million was needed over six months.
• Three months into the war, the United Nations warned that a "humanitarian catastrophe" was looming in Lebanon, with a quarter of its population needing aid.
• "Communities across Lebanon have faced an appalling situation due to the escalation of hostilities," Imran Riza, the UN's resident humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, told reporters in Geneva, speaking from Beirut.
• He said Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,500 people and injured over 10,000 others since Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East war on March 2, firing rockets at Israel in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader.
• "We have witnessed too many casualties, widespread and repeated displacement, destruction of housing and basic service infrastructure, and far-reaching...