STORY
Britain has announced a new £20.5 million humanitarian package for displaced people in Lebanon, as Middle East minister Hamish Falconer visited Beirut and urged all sides to end hostilities. The Foreign Office said the funding would support the Lebanese Government’s crisis response, with the minister using the first UK ministerial visit since the latest regional escalation to reaffirm British backing for Lebanon and for direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
During the visit, Falconer also met political leaders and viewed humanitarian projects backed by the UK, with ministers presenting the aid package as part of a wider effort to stabilise Lebanon amid a deepening regional crisis. The Government said security and stability in the Middle East would be a major issue at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum, while the announcement comes against a backdrop of mass displacement and mounting international pressure for an end to the fighting.