Peace Malaysia will send a medical team to the Syria-Lebanon border today, to help with relief efforts and provide medical assistance.

The seven-member team will set up a medical camp and logistics base, and co-ordinate with humanitarian teams under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the cities of Allappo, Homs and Tartus where there are thousands of displaced people.

It will establish communications and explore joint relief work with the Syrian Young Entrepreneurs Association, which is tasked to provide shelter for some 500 Lebanese at a high school in the southern Damascus suburb of Darayn.

Peace Malaysia co-ordinator Mukhriz Mahathir said in a statement that the team will assess the possibility of setting up a medical camp in Saida, in south Lebanon.

The team is expected to remain in Syria until Aug 21 and will be followed by more medical missions.

Malaysia Airlines is expected to provide some 3,000 blankets as its contribution.

A UN-imposed ceasefire went into effect yesterday after a month of military attacks that killed more than 900 people, devastated much of south Lebanon and displaced more than a million Lebanese since July 12.

The conflict was sparked by a cross-border Hezbollah raid and shelling, which resulted in the capture of two Israeli soldiers and death of three more.

Israel then launched air strikes and a naval blockade of Lebanon, as well as ground incursions into southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah guerrilas - said to be based in Lebanon - retaliated with rocket attacks into northern Israel and engaged the Israeli army in hit-and-run operations.