ATHENS — Greece on Monday sent a second shipment of humanitarian aid to Lebanon, which departed for Beirut on the Hellenic Navy's tank landing ship "Lesvos". The shipment was made up of 417 pallets of food, water, baby food, personal hygiene products, Covid-19 personal protection consumables, pharmaceuticals, medical and hospital supplies as well as quantities of military equipment, clothing and spare parts for Lebanon's armed forces.

As the Greek foreign ministry announced, just as Greece was the first country to reach Beirut after the disastrous explosion in 2020, Greece was also the first to respond to the country's appeal to the international community for humanitarian aid.

The Greek initiative was mobilised at the orders of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with the foreign ministry coordinating the collection of aid. The items donated by Greek businesses were supplemented by essential goods sent by the national defence and health ministries.

The General Directorate for Developmental and Humanitarian Assistance, with instructions from Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, was put in charge of organising the initiative, while an important role was played by the Lebanese Embassy in Athens and the Greek Embassy in Beirut.