GENEVA: The United Nations warned on Friday its flash appeal for humanitarian aid in Lebanon was so far only 17 per cent funded, urging donor countries to turn pledges into cash.
"We are facing a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation," said Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA.
"The needs are rising by the minute, and the pledge does not buy food, medicine or shelter. So we're hoping for a rapid disbursement."
He told a press conference that only 17 per cent of the US$426 million (RM1.86 billion) sought in the flash appeal had been received.
The largest contributors to the US$73 million received so far are Italy with US$17 million, the United States with US$11.7 million, Sweden with US$9.3 million, France with US$7.2 million, Britain with US$6.4 million and Germany with US$5.5 million.
France hosted a donor conference last month at which countries pledged US$800 million for humanitarian aid in Lebanon.
Laerke reminded donors of the urgency of "turning these pledges into money that can work on the front line", because OCHA cannot deliver aid "unless the money flows fast."
After nearly a year of cross-border fire with Hizbollah, Israel ramped up strikes on the group's strongholds in September and then sent ground forces across the border.
Since fighting in Lebanon escalated on Sept 23, the war has killed at least 1,829 people in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally of health ministry figures.
Citing figures from the UN refugee agency and the Syrian Red Crescent, Laerke said that more than 460,000 people have fled Lebanon for neighbouring Syria, while 25,000 have gone on to Iraq.
The UN migration agency warned the number of people still within Lebanon but who are displaced from their homes stood at 842,648 on Wednesday.
"In the past week, there have been 18,525 new displacements," the UN's International Organisation for Migration said.
"These individuals might be experiencing displacement for the first time or undergoing secondary movement," it added. - AFP