Ireland provides emergency relief for Lebanon

Ireland provides emergency relief for Lebanon

• From: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

• Published on: 26 March 2026
• Last updated on: 26 March 2026

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee, and Minister for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond, have today announced the donation of 8000 thermal blankets for displaced people in Lebanon through Irish Aid.

The blankets arrived in Beirut this morning on a special humanitarian flight from the UN's Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) in Brindisi, Italy. The flight carried relief items from Ireland, Italy and the European Union's humanitarian department, ECHO. It included nearly 18,000 thermal blankets, 3,600 kitchen sets and 15,600 water jerry cans. The items will be distributed to displaced families in Lebanon by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), in close coordination with the Lebanese government.

This contribution complements Ireland's recently announced humanitarian funding of €3 million for the crisis in Lebanon, which will be provided to the Lebanese Humanitarian Fund and the UN Refugee Agency.

Announcing the relief items, Minister McEntee said: "These thermal blankets will provide warmth to thousands of people displaced in Lebanon due to the ongoing airstrikes and evacuation orders. Over one million people have been forced to flee their homes, with many staying in public buildings that the Lebanese government has designated as temporary shelters.

"Ireland is making an important contribution to this joint EU humanitarian response, and it will provide temporary relief to the many innocent people affected by this war. However, only a diplomatic solution can deliver a lasting peace for the people of Lebanon, and the many refugees that live there. I call on all parties to halt attacks, de-escalate, and commit to dialogue."

Minister of State for International Development and the Diaspora, Neale Richmond, added: "These thermal blankets will be vital for the thousands of families taking shelter in public buildings, particularly those in cold and mountainous areas. Many are refugees that have been displaced repeatedly, losing not just their possessions, but the sense of stability that allows people to plan and hope for the future.

"Ireland is pleased to be part of this joint EU humanitarian response, with Italy and the European Commission. It is an important contribution to the invaluable work of the UN Refugee Agency in Lebanon, which is working so tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of those displaced."

The 8000 thermal blankets have been sent to Lebanon under Irish Aid's Rapid Response Initiative, which pre-positions humanitarian relief items at UN Humanitarian response depots.

ENDS

Press Office

26 March 2026

Notes for Editors

• The value of Ireland's donation in this operation is approximately €50,000. Ireland has already provided over €3 million to support humanitarian assistance in Lebanon since the beginning of 2026. This humanitarian response through our longstanding partners (the UN's Lebanon Humanitarian Fund and UNHCR) for the ongoing crisis.
• Under the Rapid Response Initiative, Ireland pre-positions emergency and humanitarian relief items around the world. Stocks are pre-positioned in UN Humanitarian Response Depots (UNHRD) which are strategically located near disaster and crisis prone areas. Ireland's stocks are located in Dubai (UAE), Brindisi (Italy), and Accra (Ghana) and Panama City (Panama). UNHRD not only procures and stores Ireland's stocks but also arranges for their packaging and transport to the crisis affected country. Stockpiling relief items allows Ireland to obtain lower prices through economies of scale, with prices agreed and purchases finalised before a crisis strikes. It also facilitates faster delivery of stocks into crises, and shared and lower transport costs.
• The European Commission's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department (ECHO) provides approximately €1.6 billion in humanitarian assistance annually. In this joint operation, ECHO provided almost 4,500 blankets, 15,600 jerry cans, and 3,600 kitchen sets, and are covering the cost of the flight. Italy provided over 5,000 blankets.