An appeal for “urgent aid to the populations involved in the escalation of violence in Lebanon and in the Gaza Strip” was made by the Secours Catholique-Caritas France network, which also asks both sides in the conflict to “cease their fire and undertake negotiations”. The aid organization also urges the international community to “act to prevent the Israeli, Palestinian and Lebanese populations embarking on an open and total conflict”. Italian Caritas too is uniting its efforts with the international network to respond to the requests for aid that are coming from the whole area and urging as wide as possible solidarity on the part of individuals, groups and communities. A sum of 1,300,000 euros is needed for immediate emergency aid in Lebanon, to which should be added 1,165,00 euros for emergency relief in Gaza. Contacts have also been stepped up with Israeli NGOs, with which Italian Caritas has long been collaborating, to support emergency aid. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing from Lebanon. Caritas Switzerland, for its part, has reported that it has made 100,000 francs available to fund actions undertaken by its local partners in Lebanon and Palestine that are providing medical assistance to the civilian victims of the war, and food and drinking water to the sick, the disabled and mothers with young children.
