The European Commission (EC) announced on Wednesday that it is to commit further 10 million euros (around 12.6 million U.S. dollars) in humanitarian aid to Lebanon.

In addition, the European Union's executive arm said it had planned an overall package of 50 million euros (around 63 million dollars) for Lebanon which is awaiting the green light from EU member states.

Last week, the EC decided to offer 10 million euros (around 12.6 million dollars) of emergency aid to Lebanon.

"With growing evidence of a large-scale humanitarian crisis unfolding in Lebanon, the European Commission has mobilized a further tranche of emergency humanitarian funding to help victims of the conflict. Following the announcement of an initial emergency decision for 10 million euros last week, a further decision also for 10 million euros has been launched today," the EC said in a statement.

Louis Michel, the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, said that "our humanitarian aid goes impartially to those who most need it and, tragically the needs in Lebanon get bigger every day the conflict persists."

Michel also renewed his call for "both sides in the conflict to respect humanitarian rules and principles."

"Safe humanitarian corridors must be granted as a matter of urgency. Relief organizations are ready to deliver aid to the needy people but the aid convoys are queuing at the borders or in Beirut. Only a few of them have been allowed to reach the southern part of Lebanon. This is not enough," he said.

The commissioner urged the warring parties to accept a humanitarian truce and grant regular access so that aid can get to the civilians who are trapped by the conflict.

In addition to the 20-million-euro already-committed aid, the EC is to submit a formal request for an overall package of 50 million euros (around 63 million dollars) to Lebanon.

This package needs approval from the EU member states and the European Parliament.

On the same day, the EC also announced that it had allocated 11 million euros (around 14 million dollars) to help around 10,000 citizens of developing countries who were trapped in Lebanon.

The program will help the Lebanese authorities and developing countries evacuate those who remain in Lebanon, provide support and medical assistance to evacuees in transit countries and help their swift and orderly repatriation to their home countries.

According to the EC, there were around 100,000 to 200,000 workers from developing countries living in Lebanon at the start of the conflict. The authorities of many of these countries do not have the means to support their citizens' evacuation.

The largest groups of workers are from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Ethiopia and Bangladesh. There are also significant numbers from Ghana, Vietnam and Nepal, and a few from eastern Europe and Russia.

Source: Xinhua