Australia delivers humanitarian supplies to Beirut

Joint media release:

• The Hon Scott Morrison MP, Prime Minister
• Senator the Hon Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Women

Australia is delivering urgently needed humanitarian supplies to Beirut to help the people of Lebanon recover from the devastating impacts of the Beirut port explosion on 4 August 2020.

An Australian Defence Force C-130J Hercules aircraft based in the region has collected Australian funded supplies from the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot in Dubai and is delivering them today.

These supplies include mobile warehouses to help replace storage facilities destroyed in the blast, and shelter kits and tools to help address urgent needs for the 300,000 people left homeless.

The shelter kits and supplies will be distributed by trusted NGOs, including the Red Cross, and our UN partners, who are delivering humanitarian assistance to those most in need. The mobile warehouses will help sustain operations of humanitarian partners managing large logistic support operations.

Once this important mission is completed, the C-130J will remain in the Middle East to continue providing essential logistics support to our military personnel in the region.

This assistance comes in addition to the $5 million the Australian Government has committed to support humanitarian efforts, including the World Food Programme, the Red Cross Movement, and UNICEF.

The Australian Embassy in Beirut and our consular staff in Canberra will continue to support Australians in Lebanon affected by the explosion, including by helping those who wish to return home to access available commercial flights.