Middle East: UN doubles Lebanon aid appeal amid Israel war

Middle East: UN doubles Lebanon aid appeal amid Israel war Published June 5, 2026last updated June 5, 2026What you need to know - The UN has more than doubled its aid appeal for Lebanon to meet what it describes as a "deteriorating" humanitarian crisis - Israel's air force has carried out more strikes on southern Lebanon after issuing a series of evacuation warnings - The UN World Food Program says rising fuel prices and transport costs arising from the Middle East conflict are pushing millions closer to hunger Read below for a roundup of news related to the Iran war and the wider Middle East on June 5, 2026. Tired of missing our real-time updates? Click here to add us as a Preferred Source on Google. Then tap the "Star" or "Preferred" to keep DW News at the top of your feed WATCH — Shipping risks on the rise due to wars and trade crises Global shipping disruptions are intensifying as conflicts in key trade routes like the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz force companies to reroute vessels. Ships such as the 400-meter Al Zubara now travel longer, more dangerous routes around the Cape of Good Hope, adding up to two weeks to journeys. The growing number of geopolitical hotspots — including conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Asia — poses serious risks to maritime safety, trade efficiency, and crew welfare. Hundreds of vessels stranded in blocked waterways face shortages of food and water, says the International Transport Workers' Federation. Watch DW's full report below. Israel strikes southern Lebanon after telling residents to leave homes Israel's air force has carried out air strikes in southern Lebanon after issuing orders for the residents of nine villages to leave their homes. Lebanon's state news agency reported that six people were killed. "For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move away from the villages and towns by at least 1,000 meters into open areas," the army's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X. The Israeli statement prompted hundreds of families to leave the village of Anqoun and the area of Aarnaya, near the southern port city of Sidon. The strikes came a day after Hezbollah rejected the latest US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government. The Iran-backed group demands Israel withdraw completely from Lebanon. In recent days, Israeli troops have pushed deeper into the country than at any time since the end of Israel's 1982-2000 occupation. Lebanon's Health Ministry said at least three people were also killed in Israeli strikes on the southern city of Tyre overnight. UN doubles aid appeal for Lebanon to nearly $640 million The United Nations has more than doubled the amount of funding it says is needed to help Lebanon tackle a humanitarian crisis as the war between Israel and Hezbollah enters its fourth month. In a fresh appeal on Friday, the UN said it was seeking an additional $331.5 million (€285 million) to reach 1.4 million people in need of aid. The UN had appealed for $308 million in March to support a massive emergency response led by Lebanon's government through to the end of May. As of May 31, it said it had received only $185.9 million, which was used to provided assistance to 680,000 people. It said it would more than double the initial appeal amount, bringing the total to $639.9 million, in order to reach all of the estimated 1.4 million people in Lebanon who need aid. "The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon is severe and deteriorating," the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said. "Repeated displacements, insufficient shelter capacity and limited prospects for safe return are deepening vulnerability," it added, warning that "affected people are rapidly exhausting their coping capacities, and essential services are under increasing strain." Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war at the start of March when the Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader. Israel responded by sending troops into Lebanon and launching a major bombing campaign. More than 3,500 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon since early March, with nearly a million displaced, according to Lebanese authorities. Israel says 26 of its soldiers and four civilians have been killed in Hezbollah attacks over the same period. Welcome to our coverage As the war between Israel and Hezbollah grinds on, the UN is appealing for an extra $331.5 million (€285 million) to provide humanitarian assistance to people in Lebanon. That's more than double an earlier appeal issued in March. Israel continued to bomb targets in southern Lebanon on Friday, killing six people, Lebanon's state news agency reported. The strikes come a day after the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah rejected the latest US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government. Meanwhile, the UN's World Food Program has warned that rising fuel costs resulting from the Iran war are pushing millions of people closer to hunger. It said households in Afghanistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka are among the worst affected. All this and more is coming up in our Middle East coverage. Stay tuned!