EU announces 458 million euro in humanitarian aid for war-torn Middle East

The European Commission (EC) is confirming 450 million euro in humanitarian aid for Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan in 2026, according to a March 16 statement by the EC.

“With major donors withdrawing from the region and international humanitarian law under unprecedented strain, the EU is sustaining life-saving assistance to millions of people,” the EC said.

In Syria, 210 million euro in EU humanitarian funding will sustain life-saving emergency response and protection across the entire country, the statement said.

The statement said that in Palestine (sic), 124 million euro will support food assistance, health, protection, shelter and education, delivered by partners operating under extremely difficult conditions.

In Lebanon, 100 million euro will deliver emergency health care, basic assistance for families who have nothing left, protection services, shelter, and education for children out of school, with EU Humanitarian airbridge flights already delivering medical and relief items on the ground.

In Jordan, a total of 15.5 million euro will sustain essential services such as health and protection, and meet the needs of refugees, both in and out of camps.

In Egypt, eight million euro will support multi-sectoral assistance to the most vulnerable, the EC said.

European Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said: “In a war-torn Middle East, the European Union is stepping up while others step back.

“We are now the largest donor still delivering humanitarian aid in some of the world’s most severe crises, helping people living through the darkest moments of their lives,” Lahbid said.

“We must stand with them. International Humanitarian Law exists to protect them, and Europe will defend it. We will continue delivering life-saving aid for as long as it is needed,” she said.