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Israel-Lebanon crisis: Lebanese ramp up humanitarian efforts
Amid Israeli strikes and limited public aid, Lebanese activists are jumping into action. However, observers point out that aid is being politicized, and there are too many in need.
Almost three weeks into Israel’s devastating strikes on Lebanon, civilians are increasingly taking the organization of humanitarian help into their own hands.
“I joined a local initiative, and we distribute donations between several shelters and schools,” Rayan Chaya told DW in Aley, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Beirut.
The 27-year-old mechanical engineer has been setting up databases with places to rent and eat for free. He also organized a wheelchair for a family who had to leave theirs behind when they fled.
“We’re in a crisis, and if we don’t help each other, who will?” he said. “The government isn’t taking any serious action.”
Heiko Wimmen, Lebanon project director at the International Crisis Group, a non-governmental conflict prevention organization, confirms this view.
“The level of humanitarian support for the population is what you would expect from a country whose political structures do not really function,” he told DW.
Years of political instability in combination with an ongoing economic crisis have left Lebanon on the brink of collapse.
The dire situation was further exacerbated in late September when Israel escalated its attacks on Hezbollah, designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, including the US and Germany, while the EU classifies its armed wing as a terrorist group, after a year of limited fighting.
Israeli attacks have not only killed several leading Hezbollah members but also around 2,000 civilians, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry
© Daniel Carde/ZUMA/picture alliance
Since then, several Hezbollah leaders have been killed and more than 2,000 civilians have died in the Israeli attacks, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Some 608,000 people are currently internally displaced according to the latest update by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). According to Lebanese authorities, this number is twice as high.
House squatters on the rise
Meanwhile, the Lebanese government, which acts in a caretaker capacity, has set up 973 shelters in public institutions across the country. Yet, the available 180,000 places were quickly taken.
“The number of shelters doesn’t match the number of needed places and I fear that house squatters will increasingly take over both emptied apartments as well as uninhabited luxury flats,” Wimmen said.
According to a study by Beirut’s American University, around 31% of Beirut’s property has been bought for investment purposes.
Meanwhile, Lebanese who are affiliated in one way or the other with Hezbollah’s influential political wing are increasingly moving into these apartments.
“Some of the Hezbollah-affiliated parties such as the Amal [Movement] and the Syrian Socialist National Party [in Lebanon], who have been doing the dirty work on behalf of Hezbollah for years, have opened buildings for refugees,” Crisis Group’s Wimmen said.
The Washington Post reported earlier this week that a spokesman for the Lebanese police told their reporter that they would empty the buildings only when proper alternatives were found.
Volunteers work in a community kitchen to prepare meals for those who fled Israeli bombardment in southern Lebanon
© ANWAR AMRO/AFP
Food, clothes, and a hug
Mosques, churches, bars and many private people do their best to help, Anna Fleischer, director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Middle East Office in Beirut, told DW.
“In my mosque, there is no space to host families but the number of worshippers has increased immensely and we provide food, medical services and relief,” Sheikh Mohammed Abu Zaid, imam of the largest mosque in Saida, 45 kilometers south of Beirut, told Ekwutosblog.
Sally Halawi, who owns the thrift shop “Circuit” in Beirut, has also decided to help refugees.
“I felt I had to do something to help,” she told DW. She donated everything in her shop to people who had left their homes and belongings behind. On Instagram, she called out for more donations.
“Lots of people responded,” Halawi recalls. Every morning, she assembles the donations according to gender and size. Every evening, donations are sent to the school-turned-shelters.
“So far, we have collected more than 30,000 items,” the 35-year-old said, adding that “as draining and hectic as this is, I believe this is the least I can do for my people, and I still feel it’s not enough.”
Humanitarian aid bridge
Meanwhile, international humanitarian aid for Lebanon’s population is picking up.
On Friday, the first of three flights with EU-owned stocks including hygiene items, blankets and emergency shelter kits is set to arrive in Beirut. France and other EU offices have also sent supplies.
Earlier this week, Health Minister Firas Abiad welcomed 40 tons of medical supplies from the United Arab Emirates.
And yet, observers stress that addressing the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon is also driven by political interests.
“Lebanon’s ruling elite is now trying to maintain its dominance by courting international donors as well as Western and Gulf Arab sponsors,” Lorenzo Trombetta, a Middle East analyst, told DW.
The first to promise humanitarian aid were Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, he added.
However, Qatar has been hosting the political Hamas elite for years and is one of the key negotiators for a cease-fire in Gaza.
“And Abu Dhabi supports the alliance with the United States and collaborates with Israel and its armed forces on high-tech technology, as well as continuing to send aid to Beirut,” Trombetta explained.
In his view, this is done to “exert greater political influence in Lebanon and strengthen its presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
He also fears that Lebanon’s political elite is about to deprioritize the needs of the population. “In the near future, the main focus will turn to the management of reconstruction funds,” Trombetta warned.
He considers it key to link reconstruction aid as well as the distribution of essential services and welfare exclusively to Lebanon’s civil population.
However, that aid effort appears to be stalling. The UN-led flash appeal for over $426 million (€389 million) for Lebanon’s civil society has so far received only $53 million.
Edited by: Rob Mudge
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One of the gunmen who opened fire on innocent civilians observing Hanukkah at Bondi Beach has been identified as Naveed Akram.
One of the gunmen who opened fire on innocent civilians observing Hanukkah at Bondi Beach has been identified as Naveed Akram.
On of the suspects was disarmed by a bystander and it’s been gathered that the police have arrested one of the suspects.
NB: This page does not support violence and this is just a news report for awareness.
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During a Sunday Service Dr Chris OKAFOR have responded to Doris Ogala on why he didn’t marry her
Pastor Chris Okafor has addressed allegations made by actress Doris Ogala, who claimed he promised to marry her but is now engaged to another woman. During a Sunday service, Okafor reportedly said, “You are just being arrogant to people, taking to people anyhow, you say ‘I no dey respect anybody o, I no well’. Yet you’re a young lady you’re not married na you dey talk like that. Which man wan marry who no well? Which man wan marry you when they know you have slept with different men? God forbid!”.
Okafor’s response comes after Ogala shared her emotional story, alleging that she lost a pregnancy for him, and he made a video of it public. She also claimed he owes her N45 million and that their relationship has left her emotionally broken.
The drama has sparked intense debate online, with many calling for clarity and urging restraint. Ogala has vowed to disrupt Okafor’s wedding, insisting he cannot destroy her life and move on.
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Incredible moment hero bystander tackles Bondi Beach gunman and turns gun on him after mass shooting during Jewish party in Australia
A dramatic video has captured the moment a brave bystander disarmed one of the gunmen involved in the deadly Bondi Beach shooting on Sunday, December 14, preventing further bloodshed as chaos unfolded along the crowded shoreline.
The footage shows a man wearing a white T-shirt calmly approaching an armed attacker from behind as the suspect raises his weapon. In a swift move, the bystander grabs the gun, and after a brief struggle, successfully pulls it away from the shooter.
As the assailant falls to the ground, the civilian briefly points the weapon in his direction but does not fire. The gunman then staggers away, while the bystander places the firearm against a nearby tree before stepping back. Moments later, the camera pans to a second gunman, who appears visibly shaken by the sudden turn of events.
The courageous intervention came amid a violent attack in which two gunmen opened fire on beachgoers during a crowded evening at Bondi Beach. Gunshots echoed across the area, triggering panic as hundreds of people fled the sand and surrounding streets.
Police later confirmed that at least 10 people, including one of the attackers, were k!lled in the shooting. The second suspect was taken into custody. Authorities also said at least 12 others were injured, among them two police officers who were shot during the incident.
Witnesses told local media that the attackers exited a vehicle on Campbell Parade near the Bondi Pavilion at about 6:40pm before opening fire. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, with dozens of ambulances and helicopter paramedics deployed to assist victims. Paramedics treated multiple casualties on site, while others were transported to nearby hospitals.
One mother described scenes of terror as panic broke out while her daughters were at the beach with friends. Videos circulating online show large crowds running for safety as gunfire rang out.
NB: This page does not support violence and this is just a news report.
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One of the gunmen who opened fire on innocent civilians observing Hanukkah at Bondi Beach has been identified as Naveed Akram.
During a Sunday Service Dr Chris OKAFOR have responded to Doris Ogala on why he didn’t marry her
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