The European Union Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janiz Lenarcic, announced today (Thursday) the provision of 60 million euros in humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable groups in Lebanon , including Syrian refugees and destitute Lebanese.

A statement issued by the European Commission indicated that Commissioner Lenarcic, who is visiting Lebanon to review humanitarian projects funded by the European Union and to meet with representatives of the Lebanese authorities.

The statement stated that "the new funding comes at a time when the Lebanese population is facing increasing levels of poverty, food insecurity and disease outbreaks, as about 4 million vulnerable people, including 1.5 million Syrian refugees and 2.2 million Lebanese, need humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs." .

"The new humanitarian package will provide basic humanitarian aid such as food aid, cash support, and education and health services to those in dire need," the statement added.

The statement stated that "the political and economic crisis in Lebanon has led to widespread poverty, the collapse of public services, and the increase in societal tensions, and the global food and fuel crisis has exacerbated the already dire situation."

The statement estimated that 80% of the Lebanese live in poverty, and that 36% live below the extreme poverty line, while 90% of the Syrian refugees cannot cover their basic needs.

Lebanon is suffering from an acute economic, living and financial crisis, which the World Bank classified as one of the three worst crises in the world since the mid-19th century.

The statement pointed out that the European Union's funding for humanitarian purposes for Lebanon since 2011 amounted to about 860 million euros.

The number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon registered on the lists of the International Commissioner for Refugees is about 900 thousand, while the Lebanese authorities report that their number is about two million and 80 thousand displaced people, most of whom reside in about 1,400 random camps distributed in various regions.