Following the Austrian Federal Government's announcement last week that it would provide 1 million euros in emergency aid to alleviate the disaster in Lebanon, a further 900,000 euros are now being provided.
The nearly one million euros now announced will be channelled through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) via the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) to six hospitals in Lebanon (including Saint George Hospital, the American University of Beirut Medical Center, Geitaou Hospital), for the restoration of water supplies and support in the medical sector, including medicines and Covid-19 materials.
"The disaster in Lebanon has caused terrible suffering among the population. We see it as our responsibility to provide rapid, targeted aid. This is why we have decided to make a further 900,000 euros available in emergency aid through the Austrian Development Agency. In addition, further targeted aid is planned," said Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
The total of 1.9 million euros in emergency aid will be used by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and experienced Austrian aid organisations that have already begun to provide aid locally and to care for and accommodate the thousands of injured and homeless people in Beirut, as well as to provide them with medical care.
However, this should not be the only aid provided by the Austrian Federal Government, announced Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg:
"A further two million euros from the Foreign Disaster Fund for Lebanon and Jordan are planned, to enable ongoing projects by Austrian NGOs involving the care of refugees in the two countries to be extended. We will now be coordinating this and putting it in place as quickly as possible."
In recent years Austria has spent a total of more than 150 million euros on aid in the region, 10 million euros for Lebanon alone.