Iraqi Red Crescent dispatches 40 trucks of aid to Lebanon amid Israeli aggression
Shafaq News/ The Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS), in collaboration with the Abbasid Shrine, announced on Monday the dispatch of 40 trucks carrying food, relief, and medical supplies to Beirut via Syria.
The society stated, "The IRCS coordinated with the Syrian Red Crescent and the Lebanese Red Cross to deliver supplies to Beirut."
The IRCS also emphasized its ongoing collaboration with the Iraqi government and supporting entities to collect food and relief supplies for the Lebanese people.
Iraq Among the First to Rush for Help
In response to the Israeli offensive on Lebanon, Iraq has swiftly provided substantial assistance. The Ministry of Health has dispatched 15 tons of medical supplies and 20 doctors across various specialties. Additionally, similar shipments of medical aid have been coordinated by the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and the Iraqi Red Crescent.
The Iraqi Air Force has conducted five air missions in collaboration with the Joint Operations Command, delivering a total of 75 tons of medical, therapeutic, and relief supplies. Furthermore, religious endowments, including the holy shrines of Imam Hussein and Al-Abbas in Karbala, as well as Al-Kadhim in Baghdad, have established offices in all governorates to collect donations for Lebanon.
In a gesture of solidarity, Iraq’s Ministry of Health has extended an invitation to its Lebanese counterpart to send wounded individuals for treatment in Iraq. In addition to providing aid, Iraq has also taken steps to ease the entry of Lebanese refugees. The Iraqi Red Crescent has also prepared four reception centers equipped with rest stations, four mobile hospitals, and 20 ambulances for Lebanese refugees at the Al-Qaim border crossing with Syria.
On Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani answered the call of the country's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, committing to deliver aid to Lebanon by land and air.
Al-Sistani had expressed solidarity with the Lebanese people in response to the "brutal Zionist aggression," calling for "every possible effort to halt this ongoing barbaric assault and protect the Lebanese from its devastating effects." He also urged "the faithful to contribute to alleviating their suffering and addressing their humanitarian needs."
Lebanon Under Israeli Attack
The security situation in Lebanon has recently deteriorated due to intensified hostile actions by Israel, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Hezbollah fighters and civilians, including women and children, as well as the displacement of nearly one million citizens from southern areas due to ongoing Israeli strikes.
The situation worsened when Israel launched airstrikes on densely populated buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday, killing Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, along with several of his comrades in the Lebanese resistance and many innocent civilians.
Medical sources reported that 109 people were killed and 364 others injured in the past 24 hours due to Israeli airstrikes. However, Lebanon's Health Ministry announced that Israeli air raids have killed 105 people in the last 24 hours. The ministry also reported that more than 1,000 Lebanese have been killed and over 6,000 wounded in the past two weeks of intense fighting.