UN seeks $100M for Lebanon

The United Nations is asking for $100 million to finance its relief operations for Lebanon in the next few months. “It’s already a very major crisis. More than half a million people are directly affected, either because they are refugees or internally displaced. They’ve had to flee their homes, or they are trapped,” U.N. emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland told reporters in Cyprus. “This number will grow dramatically. We’re very concerned that the whole population in southern Lebanon has been asked to leave by Israel,” Egeland added. He said he would fly to Israel to seek concession for aid convoys to have access to affected regions. (Source: UN says $100 mln needed swiftly for Lebanon relief/Reuters)