16 March 2026 09:56 UTC · European Commission · EU Commission Press Release · Source · Email X Link

European Commission announces €458 million humanitarian aid for Middle East

Key points

€458 million package for Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt
Funding for food, health, shelter, protection, education and disaster preparedness

TL;DR

European Commission announces a €458 million package; the release confirms €450 million for Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt in 2026.
Country breakdown: Syria €210 million; Palestine €124 million; Lebanon €100 million; Jordan €15.5 million; Egypt €8 million.
Aid will cover food, healthcare, shelter, clean water, protection, education and disaster preparedness, delivered via UN agencies, international organisations and NGOs.
€67.5 million of the package is mobilised from the Emergency Aid Reserve, pending budgetary authority approval.
Hadja Lahbib says the EU is the largest donor still delivering aid amid donor withdrawals and unprecedented strain on International Humanitarian Law.

Original text

European Commission - Press release EU announces €458 million in humanitarian aid for the war-torn Middle East Brussels, 16 March 2026 The European Commission is confirming €450 million in humanitarian aid for Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt in 2026. With major donors withdrawing from the region and international humanitarian law under unprecedented strain, the EU is sustaining life-saving assistance to millions of people. In Syria, €210 million in EU humanitarian funding will sustain life-saving emergency response and protection across the entire country. More than a year after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, 16.5 million people continue to require humanitarian assistance. Among them over 3.2 million returnees face destroyed infrastructure and a lack of livelihood opportunities. Funding covers food assistance, healthcare, shelter, clean water and education for children out of school. In Palestine , €124 million will support food assistance, health, protection, shelter and education, delivered by partners operating under extremely difficult conditions. Over 3.3 million people remain in need — 2.1 million in Gaza and 1.2 million in the occupied West Bank. In Gaza, civilians face malnutrition and a collapsed healthcare system, and systematic obstruction of humanitarian aid. In Lebanon, €100 million will deliver emergency health care, basic assistance for families who have nothing left, protection services, shelter, and education for children out of school. Needs are acute: even before the current humanitarian crisis, aggravated by the ongoing developments in Iran, over three million people required humanitarian assistance in Lebanon. In March 2026, Israeli airstrikes led to the displacement of more than 800,000 people. EU Humanitarian airbridge flights are already delivering medical and relief items on the ground. In Jordan, a total of €15.5 million will sustain essential services such as health and protection, and meet the needs of refugees, both in and out of camps. In Egypt, €8 million will support multi-sectoral assistance to the most vulnerable, including quality education for out-of-school children, and a regional programme on disaster preparedness. Egypt is hosting over 1.5 million refugees and asylum seekers, notably from Sudan and Gaza. Background Across the whole region, the delivery of humanitarian aid is heavily affected by operational and logistical constraints, limited humanitarian access, a reduced humanitarian space and continuous violations of International Humanitarian Law. The EU 2026 humanitarian aid allocations for Palestine, Lebanon, Syria Jordan and Egypt are made under the European Commission's annual Worldwide Humanitarian Decision , implemented through country-specific Humanitarian Implementation Plans . Funding for humanitarian issues is allocated exclusively on the basis of need, in accordance with the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, and in full compliance with international humanitarian law. It is delivered through the Commission longstanding network of UN agencies, international organisations and NGOs operating on the ground. This €450 million package includes a mobilisation of €67.5 million from the Emergency Aid Reserve, pending approval by the budgetary authority. For more information EU Humanitarian Aid to Palestine EU Humanitarian Aid to Jordan EU Humanitarian Aid to Lebanon EU Humanitarian Aid to Syria EU Humanitarian aid Egypt IP/26/611 Quote(s): "In a war-torn Middle East, the European Union is stepping up while others step back. We are now the largest donor still delivering humanitarian aid in some of the world’s most severe crises, helping people living through the darkest moments of their lives. We must stand with them. International Humanitarian Law exists to protect them, and Europe will defend it. We will continue delivering life-saving aid for as long as it is needed." Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Press contacts: Eva HRNCIROVA (+32 2 29 88433) Quentin CORTES (+32 2 29 13283) General public inquiries: Europe Direct by phone 00 800 67 89 10 11 or by email

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Hadja Lahbib

European Commission announces €458 million humanitarian aid for Middle East

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