US to Give $157 Million in Humanitarian Aid in Response to Lebanon Crisis

People carry their belongings while walking on the rubble, after an Israeli strike, as they flee Lebanon due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, at Masnaa border crossing with Syria, in Lebanon, October 4, 2024. (REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will provide nearly $157 million in new humanitarian assistance to support populations affected by conflict in Lebanon and the region, the State Department said in a statement on Friday.

"This funding will address new and existing needs of internally displaced persons and refugee populations inside Lebanon and the communities that host them.  The assistance will also support those fleeing to neighboring Syria," the State Department said.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler)