The Beirut Explosion and its Disastrous Consequences for Lebanon’s Refugee Population
***All photographs are from the ground in Lebanon, taken by Human Appeal.
The recent explosion in Lebanon’s capital and its aftermath has had devastating effects: over two hundred deaths, four thousand injured, and 300,000 people left homeless. Beirut’s city governor, Marwan Abbound, stated that collective losses to the economy could reach $10 to $15 billion dollars. Whilst the exact cause of the explosion remains unclear, the Lebanese president and prime minister have stated that it was the result of the detonation of 1750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, which had been stored without safety measures for six years in Beirut’s port. The disaster was met with an encouraging international response as governments, NGOs, and humanitarian aid organisations hastily mobilised their resources and came together to show their support for Lebanon through substantial aid packages to its government and statements of solidarity to the Lebanese people. At a virtual summit hosted by French President Macron, international donors collectively pledged $297 million in aid for Lebanon. While this international response inspires optimism, little has been spoken about the effects of the disaster on the growing refugee population in Lebanon, predominantly Syrian and Palestinian refugees, many of whom were already in a vulnerable socio-economic situation.
For a brief moment, the global spotlight directed itself to Lebanon, yet somehow the 1.5 million Syrian refugees, 200,000 Palestinian refugees under the UNRWA’s mandate, and 20,000 refugees of other origins, remain hidden in the dark. This is not an accident, and I will premise by stating that humanitarian aid and development are not isolated nor detached from politics and international relations. Whether or not one agrees with the hypothesis that foreign aid can be used as a tool for neo-liberalism, there is a consensus that since widespread decolonisation, certain colonial apparatus and colonial power dynamics have woven themselves, sometimes ambiguously, into our contemporary world through the guise of development. The undeniable relationship between development and colonialism is an intricate and complex one. Conflicting governmental and political interests control the guiding hand which too often pulls the strings deciding where governments direct aid. Let us not forget Britain’s involvement in Palestine since Britain and France took it upon themselves to arbitrarily carve up new borders in the Middle East in 1916, to the British Mandate granted over Palestine in 1920, to the conflicting promises made to the Jewish and Arab peoples in the Balfour Declaration, and the subsequent uprooting and persecution of Palestinian people. Similarly, when the US fails to recognize the State of Palestine, how can we expected international support for Palestinian refugees? Refugee communities have been largely overlooked in the international response to the crisis in Lebanon, so in hope of remedying that, this article sheds some light on the situation of refugees in Lebanon, how this has intensified as a result of the explosion, as well as varying humanitarian responses. Ultimately, I aim to bring some awareness to how we can support refugees in Lebanon during this time. I spoke with Zaheer Khan, of Human Appeal, from the ground in Lebanon, about the impact of disasters on refugee communities, the importance of supporting such groups in order to protect those vulnerable, and to help Lebanon recover.
Whilst governments and media outlets in the West frequently turn a blind eye to conflicts and humanitarian crises in the Middle East, the international response to the explosion in Lebanon has been commendable. For example, Baghdad has stated that it will provide fuel aid to Beirut. The UN Deputy Spokesperson stated that the UN and member states are working with authorities in Lebanon to support the ongoing response in the aftermath of the explosion. Amnesty International has called for the international community to increase humanitarian aid to Lebanon at a time when the country was already facing a severe economic crisis, as well as COVID-19. Furthermore, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, vocalized his commitment to assist the Lebanese people and “stressed our solidarity with and support for [them] as they strive for the dignity, prosperity and security they deserve.” Meanwhile, the UK will provide a £5 million aid package and claims; “We are going to stand by the Lebanese people in their time of need.” It is promising and inspiring to witness such aid to Lebanon at this time of crisis. However, several questions arose and beat persistently against my mind, demanding attention: What about the dignity, prosperity and security of the Palestinian and Syrian refugees in Lebanon? Where is the solidarity for these people? Who is standing by these refugees?
It will be useful to give some context of the composition of Lebanon’s refugee population and reiterate some aforementioned statistics. Lebanon currently hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees per capita, and amidst the country’s already unstable economic climate, this large refugee population both causes and intensifies economic and resulting social tensions within the host country (for both refugees and vulnerable Lebanese), placing pressure on the country’s infrastructure, services, environment, and competition for jobs. Lebanon was already struggling to repair its pre-crisis economic growth, which has been further stunted as a result of the recent explosion. In this precarious socio-economic climate, the humanitarian situation of refugees was already hazardous. Refugees in Lebanon face increased protection risks, with the lack of legal residency leading to risk of arrest, deportation, and eviction. Sexual and gender-based violence, and instances of child abuse are on the rise. Furthermore, health, shelter, and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) needs are increasing. A large proportion of the refugee population are dependent on humanitarian assistance, to meet their basic needs and be protected against exploitation.
The UN Refugee Agency’s 2020 Planning Summary for Lebanon stated that the situation is “testing the patience and hospitality and host communities” in which refugees live dispersed, and stressed the negative effects on inter-community relations and social stability. In response to these issues, the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017-2020 provided a framework for an integrated humanitarian-development response, which combines the needs of refugees, with plans to strengthen the capacity of existing national institutions and organisations in order to ‘mitigate’ the impact of the refugees’ presence by supporting host communities and vulnerable Lebanese. It is often those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who bear the negative effects of a country hosting refugees, as we see in Lebanon. Therefore, it is particularly important to support these economically vulnerable groups, as well as the refugee communities themselves, in the wake of disasters. What then, is the impact of a catastrophic event such as the recent explosion, on refugees in Lebanon, and how are organisations supporting them?
It is useful to view this event in its economic and political context. Lebanon has been experiencing months of civil unrest, with its economy on the verge of collapse, as well as the impact of COVID pandemic. Before the crises began, over half of Lebanon’s refugee population already lived in deep poverty. Over half of Palestinian refugees were unemployed and two thirds of Syrian refugees were living below the poverty line. The extreme vulnerability of these two groups in particular becomes clear, and we see how disasters often have adverse social impacts upon the most vulnerable in society.
The effects of the explosion endanger Lebanon’s refugee population in several ways. The first way is the impact upon aid routes to Syria. UN and humanitarian officials fear the effect upon the aid pipeline through Lebanon to Syria, where over 11 million people rely on international aid to survive as the country reaches the ninth year of its civil war. The Beirut port was one of the main hubs through which organisations like the UN sent supplies to Syria; however, the damage to the port and its period of inactivity has disrupted aid routes. The challenge is for humanitarian organisations to find ways to maintain the supply chain and continue providing aid to Syria. Closely linked, the most pressing immediate problem is food. Prices for food and other goods had nearly doubled in Lebanon in the past year. The now inoperable port of Beirut was an entry point for a large portion of Lebanon’s consumption, with Lebanon importing 80 to 85% of its food. The UN news has reported that so far, at least 34 refugees were among the more than 200 people reportedly killed in the explosion. That is almost 20% of the deaths. It takes little examination to see that refugees bear the effects of such disasters disproportionately.
We have seen how refugees have been, both directly and indirectly, adversely affected by the combination of the ongoing crises in Lebanon, and Beirut’s recent explosion. So, in what ways are refugee communities being supported during this time? I spoke with Zaheer Khan, the Director of Fundraising at Human Appeal, an international aid and development organisation based in Manchester, which runs poverty relief programmes in emergency response and sustainable development. I worked with Human Appeal for three months as a Global Programmes Intern, within the Middle East Department, which has been identifying the needs of both refugees and the vulnerable groups within the host society in Lebanon, and delivering humanitarian aid and sustainable development there for nearly thirty years. Human Appeal continues to support Syrian and Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and from the ground in Lebanon Zaheer Khan addresses the international response to the recent crisis; “It has been heart-warming to see the outpouring of love for Beirut internationally, and the amount of aid that has been committed to seeing the city and Lebanon as a whole rebuild following this tragedy.” He described the progress of HA’s emergency aid to refugees in Lebanon since the explosion: “At Human Appeal we’ve packed and distributed over 1,000 emergency food parcels, delivered clean water to hospitals, and provided the most vulnerable people with hygiene kits to protect themselves from COVID-19. However, there is always more to do.”
Zaheer discusses the specific vulnerability of the refugee communities in Lebanon, and the particular need for humanitarian organisations to support these groups. Human Appeal has been working with refugee communities in Lebanon for almost three decades, giving them a unique position with regards to appropriate and most effective aid during this time. Zaheer continues; “We have worked in Lebanon for nearly 30 years, which gives us a unique and solid perspective on what needs to happen now. We know that refugee communities in Lebanon will suffer disproportionately following this explosion, so our teams have been visiting camps to hear people’s stories, which will all feed into our plan to offer tailored support to families, in order to help Lebanon recover.” This emphasises the need for global awareness of the impact of such disasters not only on national economies, but also on refugee communities and other economically vulnerable groups. “It’s crucial as this story exits the news cycle that people with the power and means to change things do not turn away. Human Appeal will be on the ground in Lebanon in the days, weeks, months and years to come, making a difference to people’s lives.”
The recent explosion in Lebanon has severely harmed refugee communities, who have been disproportionately affected both by the explosion and its aftermath. This incident is evidence for the wider impact, globally, of disasters on those in vulnerable socio-economic positions, and the situation and specific needs of refugees during crises requires particular attention. The influx of economic aid and words of solidarity to Lebanon are imperative, and has explicitly demonstrated that governments are capable of mobilising and allocating resources swiftly. However it is worth recognising which organisations are acknowledging the millions of refugees in Lebanon, rather than solely directing support to its government. The issue of aid is closely tied to political issues, and political interests often dictate where governments choose to send aid and who they support. For example, how can we expect adequate humanitarian support for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon at this time, when the US does not even recognise the state of Palestine? Whilst many governments and media outlets are turning a blind eye to the refugee communities suffering in Lebanon at this time, Human Appeal is one example of a humanitarian aid organisation tirelessly working to identify the needs of refugee communities and the vulnerable groups in their host country, and provide the most suitable emergency aid.