UN calls for $150 mln for war victims in Lebanon

LEBANON: The United Nations appealed for $150 million in humanitarian aid to help people in Lebanon afflicted by nearly two weeks of conflict between Hizbollah and Israel.

U.N. emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland said this was "the hour of greatest need for the Lebanese people". "It is a situation that is glaringly in need of our assistance," Egeland said at the launch of the "Flash Appeal for Lebanon" in Beirut. In an initial appeal on Saturday, he had called for at least $100 million.

The revised sum would cover the needs of 800,000 people for three months, including food, health care, water and sanitation.

Israel has been launching daily air strikes on southern Lebanon, southern Beirut and other parts of the country. It is trying to stop Hizbollah from launching rockets into Israel.

The war has killed 377 in Lebanon and 39 Israelis.

Aid efforts have been hindered by Israel's destruction of civilian infrastructure including roads and bridges and its targeting of commercial trucks, a U.N. statement said.

"The ongoing hostilities continue to prevent access to affected populations and free movement of relief staff and goods," the statement said.

An estimated 700,000 people have fled their homes, with around 150,000 of those having crossed into Syria.

"We are particularly worried about the population in southern Lebanon and parts of the Bekaa valley," Egeland said. "It's here where the civilians are now in the most difficult crossfire and it's from where they now are becoming displaced."

A full aid operation required a halt to fighting between Hizbollah and Israel. In the absence of a ceasefire, the United Nations was seeking guarantees of safe passage from the Israeli army so aid could travel safely to and through Lebanon.

Apart from hitting Lebanon's roads and bridges, Israel has imposed a sea blockade and blown up Beirut airport's runway.

"We have asked for safe passage to three ports - Beirut harbour, Tripoli harbour and Tyre," Egeland said. "We are looking for and have (made) progress in our talks with the Israelis for inland routes." "On Wednesday we hope to take the first major U.N. convoy from Beirut, going south hopefully to Tyre."

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said his agency was positioning more than 500 tonnes of relief supplies along Syria's border with Lebanon but urgently needed assurances of safe passage to deliver the aid.

"The plight of the displaced in Lebanon is growing more difficult by the hour and it's crucial that we get the humanitarian pipeline flowing now," Antonio Guterres said.

The United States will contribute $30 million to the international appeal for humanitarian aid for Lebanon, a U.S. official said in Tel Aviv.Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch said the aid would include medical kits for 100,000 people, 20,000 blankets and plastic sheeting.

Welch said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would address the humanitarian situation in talks with Israeli officials.

In London, British International Development Secretary Hilary Benn pledged a further 2.2 million pounds ($4.08 million) to support humanitarian relief in Lebanon. Benn said in a statement that the U.N. central emergency response fund was also providing an initial contribution of 5 million dollars of which Britain's share is $ 1.4 million (770,000 pounds).

This brings the total British commitment to 5 million pounds "and we stand ready to do more as needed" Benn said.

The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) said it had unloaded 25 tonnes of high-energy biscuits from a ship in Beirut port, to be given to people displaced from their homes by shelling. "Many of the people displaced by the conflict fled with just the clothes they were wearing and with very little food stocks and cash. Hoarding of food has also emptied shops of supplies and sent prices skyrocketing," a WFP statement said.

Meanwhile evacuees fleeing Israeli bombing in Lebanon said on Tuesday they feared family and friends they left behind were running out of food as the United Nations announced the start of a major relief operation.

"Everybody where I lived is running out of bread, food, water, money. It's very bad," said Mohammad Kaleb, a 29-year-old Australian, as he came ashore in Cyprus from a boat that had carried 750 people to safety.

Another Australian, Marcelle Henna, 26, echoed his concern.

"In my village it is still all right, but people are buying things in huge quantities. They are afraid of running out, in case anything happens like an (Israeli) invasion," she said.

"Shops are raising prices, which makes problems worse."

Beirut, Tuesday, Reuters