NEW YORK, Sept 26 (Bernama-PA Media/dpa) -- UK Development Minister Anneliese Dodds unveiled a £5 million (US$6.6 million) aid package for Unicef in Lebanon, the German news agency (dpa) reported.
The announcement late on Wednesday, follows deadly air strikes and rocket fire which Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged since the start of the week.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has confirmed the aid will go towards medical supplies, hygiene kits, fuel for water stations, and emergency teams working in the health and nutrition fields.
The government department also confirmed that Royal Air Force aircraft and helicopters are on standby, with a UK presence at RAF Akrotiri near Limassol in Cyprus, and in the eastern Mediterranean with two ships - RFA Mounts Bay and HMS Duncan.
Border Force and Foreign Office officials, and 700 troops, were deployed to Cyprus on Tuesday.
"The situation in Lebanon is deeply concerning," Dodds said.
The minister said her department has reopened its "register your presence" portal, which British nationals in Lebanon can fill in to notify the UK government of their whereabouts.
She added: "While we continue to urge British nationals to leave and have launched our 'register your presence portal' to aid their departure, the UK will always be a strong supporter of the Lebanese people.
"That is why we are providing £5 million to Unicef to support civilians who have been displaced and are facing a humanitarian emergency.
"We need to see an immediate ceasefire from both sides to prevent further civilian casualties and ensure that displaced people can return to their homes."
Israeli strikes on Wednesday killed 51 people and injured more than 220, according to Lebanon's health minister.
The count comes in addition to 564 who were killed and more than 1,800 wounded in the previous two days, including around 150 women and children, and as the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs revealed a total of 200,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon since Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel nearly a year ago.
The UK government has estimated approximately 4,000 to 6,000 British nationals remain in Lebanon.
-- BERNAMA-dpa
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