THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION ON THURSDAY SAID IT WAS
RUSHING 10 MILLION EUROS (12.6 MILLION DOLLARS) IN URGENT ASSISTANCE
TO VICTIMS OF THE CONFLICT IN LEBANON AND CALLED FOR THE SETTING UP
OF A HUMANITARIAN CORRIDOR TO GET AID INTO THE COUNTRY, REPORTED DPA.
"WE ARE WITNESSING A TRAGIC, DOWNWARD SPIRAL...EVERY DAY THE
FIGHTING CONTINUES TAKES US CLOSER TO A HUMAN CATASTROPHE," SAID
EUROPEAN UNION DEVELOPMENT CHIEF LOUIS MICHEL.
MICHEL SAID ALL PARTIES MUST RESPECT INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN
LAW AND ALLOW AID WORKERS RAPID ACCESS TO VICTIMS.
HUMANITARIAN CORRIDORS MUST BE URGENTLY SET UP TO ENSURE THAT
RELIEF AGENCIES HAVE SPEEDY ACCESS TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING,
ADDED MICHEL.
THE COMMISSION - THE EUROPEAN UNION'S EXECUTIVE ARM - SAID IT HAD
DECIDED TO DOUBLE ITS PLANNED HUMANITARIAN PACKAGE TO 10 MILLION
EUROS BECAUSE OF THE RISING NUMBER OF PEOPLE MADE HOMELESS BY THE
CONFLICT.
"THERE ARE CURRENTLY 500,000 INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE IN
LEBANON...THE NUMBER COULD GO UP TO ONE MILLION," SAID A SPOKESMAN
FOR MICHEL.
THERE WAS A DESPERATE NEED TO GET TENTS, CLEAN WATER, FOOD AND
MEDICINES TO PEOPLE, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.
MICHEL SAID HE WANTED OTHER DONORS AND AID AGENCIES TO ALSO
CONTRIBUTE GENEROUSLY TO THE HUMANITARIAN EFFORT.
EU FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR SUPPLYING EMERGENCY RELIEF BY AID
AGENCIES SUCH AS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC),
AS WELL AS UNITED NATIONS HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES AND OTHER NON-
GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS.