Foreign Minister Steinmeier on the Current Cituation in Lebanon

July 31, 2006

Federal Foreign Minister Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued the following statement regarding the current situation in Lebanon on Monday (31 July):

"The humanitarian situation has taken a dramatic turn during the last 14 days, especially in southern Lebanon. Israel's decision to suspend offensive aerial attacks is a first important step which must be followed by others. The German Government will do everything in its power during the next 48 hours to enable the remaining Germans in southern Lebanon to leave quickly. After that, we have to make every effort during the next few days to get the so urgently required humanitarian relief measures underway. Against this background, the Federal Foreign Office has doubled its funding for humanitarian emergency measures from one to two million euro."

The new funds are intended in particular to guarantee the start-up funding for the international relief efforts. Despite generous commitments by the international donor community, comparatively small amounts have reached the international relief organizations so far. As the Federal Foreign Office funding can be made available quickly, it should be used to help fill the financing gap during this critical initial phase.

The Federal Foreign Office made available one million euro for humanitarian relief measures for Lebanon on 19 July. These funds were made available to German and international organizations, with 500,000 euro allocated to the International Committee of the Red Cross, 100,000 euro to Caritas, 50,000 to Medico International and 50,000 to the German Red Cross.

All in all, the German Government's contribution towards humanitarian relief measures in Lebanon totals three million euro. The European Union plans to make available up to 50 million euro for humanitarian aid in Lebanon, the German share of which amounts to more than 10 million euro.

July 31, 2006

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