After decades of neglect by the international community, suddenly aid in its many forms, is flooding into Lebanon from around the world. But is this aid in order to relieve the suffering of the local population, or are other motives at work here?
The answer is probably a combination of both, but my guess is that although the relief of the suffering is paramount, most donors will have another agenda.
I remember Beirut as the ‘playground of the Middle East’; a sophisticated city with elegant streets, shops and restaurants; a city where beautiful Lebanese women wore the very latest of Parisian fashions. For those who were fortunate, it was possible to ski in the mountains in the morning, swim in the warm seas of the Mediterranean in the afternoon, and watch international cabarets in the world-class Casino in the evening.
But the significant phrase here is: ‘for those who were fortunate’. Because behind the glitterati lay another world – a world of the less fortunate and the disposed. Through no fault of its own, in the decades following the foundation of the State of Israel in 1948, when a hundred thousand Palestinians fled to Lebanon, the country has been the dumping ground for the unwanted refugees of the region.
The Palestinian refugee camps of the 1950s have now morphed into permanent, albeit over-crowded, residential ghettos. But despite an appearance of permanence, they remain refugee camps where many young, disaffected, Palestinians have grown up with little or no hope for the future.
Lebanon’s refugee population increased further with the outbreak of the recent civil war in Syria. Having a historical connection with Syria and sharing a common border, Lebanon became a natural place of refuge for thousands fleeing the horrors of war. Consequently, with almost 2 million refugees from Syria and surrounding countries, in addition to the Palestinian refugees, Lebanon soon became the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita. (UNHCR statistics)
Another factor that has contributed to Lebanon’s instability was the multifaceted civil war that lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in 120,000 fatalities. As late as 2012, 76,000 people remained displaced as a result of the war and almost a million Lebanese, many being the most talented, left the country for the United States, Canada, Brazil and other European countries. The economic fall-out from the civil war, and the ongoing refugee crisis, has been exacerbated by a lack of governance, widespread corruption and sectarian rivalry.
The explosion at Beirut Port on the 4th August, leaving 300,000 people homeless and a large part of the city totally destroyed, could be the nail in the coffin of a country already on its knees.
The international community has responded quickly to the disaster. The US Air Force flew 11 pallets of humanitarian aid, containing more than 28,800 meals ready to eat, 11,520 bottles of water and two pallets of medical supplies from their base in Qatar. Medical and humanitarian aid has been received from Turkey, Morocco, Qatar, Tunisia, Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain, Iraq and Saudi Arabia plus many European countries. Israel offered aid but it was declined.
But humanitarian aid is only a sticking plaster covering a much more serious wound. The people of Beirut blame an incompetent Government for the disaster. Over the past few days, thousands of Lebanese have taken to the streets demanding the resignation of those in power. On the 10th August the Government resigned but this does little to resolve the country’s problems.
Against this background, President Macron of France invited 15 donor countries to a virtual conference with the aim of co-ordinating longer-term financial support for the ailing country. Almost $300m was pledged by countries including the EU, the UK and the US. However, these pledges came with certain caveats that included an inquiry into the cause of the explosion and a commitment to reform. Another key element was a promise to get the aid directly to the people, rather than being channelled through government officials or through powerful sectarian ‘Warlords’.
And thereby lies the dilemma. With no functioning Government and a distrustful ruling class, who is going to commission an inquiry? who is going to carry out the reform? and who is going to ensure that any financial aid will get through to the people?
The reality is that the country is entering a serious power gap. And this is exactly what the main players within the international community fear most. There are many players poised to move in, each with its own agenda. The US and her allies, plus the Sunni Arab States are watching Hezbollah, Iran, China and Russia with great caution. Israel is nervous. But perhaps the greatest fear is that beautiful Beirut could become the next recruiting ground for a resurgence of the Islamic State.
What the country needs right now, is an end to sectarian rivalry, which has often been fuelled by outside forces. The people of Lebanon need financial and economic support from non-partisan partners. Whether or not they get it, or whether the same power games continue as before, remains to be seen.
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