Humanitarian Assistance to the Lebanese People

Today, Secretary of State Rice authorized $30 million in immediate humanitarian assistance to victims of the conflict in Lebanon.  We remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Lebanon and this response to the appeal from the United Nations and other organizations will help address some of the most pressing needs of conflict victims.  To meet the most urgent needs, the United States is dispatching two large-scale medical deliveries that will arrive in Lebanon on July 25.  Each of these deliveries contains enough medicine and supplies to meet the basic medical needs of 10,000 people for a three month period.  The U.S. will also begin delivering other direct U.S. assistance to Lebanon, including plastic sheeting and blankets, starting July 25.  We will continue to do all that we can to support the Government of Lebanon as it seeks to address the needs of its people.