The Belgian intervention team B-FAST will take €150,000 worth of food and medical supplies to Lebanon by next week. B-FAST is the Belgian government agency that provides overseas aid to countries stricken by disaster.
Belgian health and international development minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Flemish socialist) made the announcement after a digital cabinet meeting of the outgoing administration. Mr Vandenbroucke assumed the international development portfolio after his colleague Caroline Gennez (Flemish socialist) moved to the Flemish government.
‘The Belgian delivery is a response to a European request. France is also participating,’ Mr Vandenbroucke said.
Mr Vandenbroucke also pointed to the fact that in recent years Belgium had donated millions of euros to international aid funds, such as the UN emergency relief fund. $10 million is now being released from that UN fund, and $24 million is also being released from another humanitarian fund to which Belgium is a major donor. ‘So, through international funds, millions of dollars' worth of aid is also being released to the Lebanese people’ the international development minister concluded.
The medical supplies come from the stocks of the Belgian Development Cooperation Agency. They include bandages, compresses, needles, thermometers, etc.