U.S. to Provide $157 Million in Humanitarian Aid to People Affected by ‘Crisis in Lebanon’

The United States announced that it would be providing $157 million in humanitarian aid to address the “crisis in Lebanon” and those who have been affected by it.

In a press release on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that the “nearly $157 million” in humanitarian assistance would go towards addressing “new and existing needs to internally displaced persons and refugee populations” for communities in Lebanon.

“The United States will provide nearly $157 million in new U.S. humanitarian assistance to support populations affected by conflict in Lebanon and the region,” Blinken said in the press release. “This funding will address new and existing needs of internally displaced persons and refugee populations inside Lebanon and the communities that host them. The assistance will also support those fleeing to neighboring Syria.”

The press release from Blinken comes as Israel has been waging war against Hezbollah terrorists located in Lebanon.

Breitbart News Senior Editor-at-Large Joel Pollak reported that over the course of Thursday and Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had continued advancing on Hezbollah terrorists, carrying out airstrikes. Within “four days of combat,” the IDF was reported to have killed more than 200 Hezbollah terrorists.

As Breitbart News previously reported, as the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has continued, “hundreds of Lebanese Christians” have been reported to be leaving their homes as Israel has directed them to evacuate:

Although Israel has declared it is not at war with Lebanon in general and is targeting fighters and weapons from the Shia militia Hezbollah, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States, this has not stopped it from forcibly evacuating a number of Christian villages in southern Lebanon, which is a Shia majority area interspersed with Christian communities not aligned with Hezbollah.

The news that roughly $157 million in humanitarian aid would go towards helping the people affected by the fighting in Lebanon comes as communities in western North Carolina, such as the city of Asheville and the village of Chimney Rock, were affected by heavy rains and flooding from Hurricane Helene. Other communities in eastern Tennessee, southwestern Virginia, Georgia, and Florida were also affected.

President Joe Biden previously announced that the U.S. would be sending $8 billion in military aid to Ukraine. Days after this announcement, Vice President Kamala Harris announced $750 in assistance for the victims of Hurricane Helene.

“The federal relief and assistance that we have been providing has included FEMA providing $750 for folks who need immediate needs being met, such as food, baby formula, and the like. And you can apply now.”

This represents $50 more than the Biden administration gave to those who were affected by the Maui wildfires.