United Nations says it will boost emergency aid to Lebanon

United Nations says it is stepping up emergency assistance to Leban following explosion that devastated Beirut and is urging international community to “stand beside” Lebanese people who have generously hosted thousands of Palestinian and Syrian refugees for years.

UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Wednesday that among thousands injured from blast at Beirut's port are over 100 U.N. staff members and dependents, and among more than 100 de are two family members of UN staffers.

He said 22 members of U.N. peacekeeping force in Leban were among injured. One of U.N. Maritime Task Force ships docked in port was damd, leaving naval peacekeepers injured, “some of m seriously,” he said.

“We expect that dam at port will significantly exacerbate ecomic and food security situation in Leban, which imports about 80-85 percent of its food,” Haq said.

U.N. humanitarian office “also expects that it will affect U.N.'s ability to provide aid to Syria because port in Beirut is one of ways we are shipping aid,” he said.

U.N. peacekeepers and staff in Leban are assisting in emergency response and specialists are en route to support urban search and rescue operations and “to conduct rapid assessments about situation on ground and help coordinate emergency response activities,” Haq said.

A top U.N. priority is to support existing hospitals and trauma response capacity, and U.N. World Health Organization is working closely with Lebanese Ministry of Health “to conduct an assessment of hospital facilities in Beirut, ir functionality and needs for ditional support, particularly amid COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Assessments of humanitarian needs and shelter needs following explosion are also underway, Haq said.

“ United Nations is looking at all options to find ways to provide financial assistance to support ongoing response efforts,” he said.

Haq said it was too early to say if U.N. will issue an international appeal to help rebuild Beirut.

“It would seem given amount of dam that re will be a need for ditional international support for Leban,” he said, ding that U.N. is heartened to see support from many governments and hopes all countries will stand beside Lebanese people at this time.