How US Lebanon funding compares to Hurricane Helene relief

Kamala Harris has come under fire for promising millions in aid to Lebanon while so many Americans in the Southeast are still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Helene – so here are the numbers.

The vice president said Sunday that the U.S. would provide nearly $157 million in additional assistance to the Lebanese people “to cover basic needs such as food, shelter, water, shelter and sanitation to assist those displaced.”

This comes after Israel continues its operation against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, attacking the country's capital Beirut and the northern city of Tripoli, among other places, last weekend.

Meanwhile, federal assistance for Hurricane Helene survivors topped $137 million on Sunday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said in its latest update.

North Carolina, where about half of Helene's more than 200 victims died, according to the Associated Press, received more than $30 million, while Georgia and South Carolina, where dozens were killed in each state, received more than $30 million, respectively. received $5.7 million.

Florida received more than 71 million pounds, Virginia more than $330,000 and Tennessee $175,000.

While this $137 million for Helene victims is less than the $157 million provided to Lebanon, federal spending to help Americans recover from Helene will increase over time.

Helene is the second deadliest hurricane to hit the continental United States in the last half century, surpassed only by Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1,833 people in 2005.

In total, the federal government ultimately approved aid totaling $120 billion for those affected by the disaster.

Congress recently appropriated $20 billion for FEMA's disaster relief fund, as part of a short-term government spending bill designed to fund the government through Dec. 20.

But Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Oct. 2 that while FEMA should be able to meet immediate needs, it doesn't have enough money to get through the hurricane season from June 1 to Nov. 30.

Several people on social media, particularly MAGA supporters and Republican figures, have criticized Harris' Lebanon announcement as part of her ongoing attack on the Biden-Harris administration's response to Hurricane Helene, which is currently hitting key swing states Georgia and North Carolina met a few weeks before the 2024 election.

Florida Senator Rick Scott wrote: “If we renamed Florida and North Carolina Lebanon and Ukraine, Kamala Harris might provide disaster relief more quickly. She made it clear that we as Americans come last.”

Similarly, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said, “Yes, it’s a real contribution. Kamala Harris is 'concerned for the safety and well-being of civilians suffering in Lebanon.'” She has sent $385 million to them this year, $157 million. Kamala has given $750 to victims of Hurricane Helene.

In fact, the recent announcement of $157 million brings the total amount of U.S. aid to Lebanon this year to $385 million.

But the “$750” Greene is referring to is the immediate cash payouts that Harris mentioned in her Oct. 3 speech in Augusta, Georgia, when she mentioned the payments as part of a larger relief effort.

“And the federal assistance and assistance that we provided included providing $750 through FEMA to people who have critical needs like food, baby formula and things like that. And you can apply now,” she said at the time.

Newsweek has contacted the White House via email and FEMA for further comment.