Lebanon crisis: ‘The situation is overwhelming. Everyone is scared of what might come next’

As the crisis in the Middle East spreads, the situation in Lebanon has escalated into catastrophe with tens of thousands of people now displaced. Sana Basim, Head of Programmes for Islamic Relief Lebanon, describes the mood on the ground and why Lebanon is more in need than ever.

When the already grim situation in Lebanon lurched even closer to catastrophe, I was out of the country. Planes grounded amid travel chaos, I now wait anxiously to return while working remotely to coordinate life-saving aid operations.

I am hearing terrifying first-hand accounts from my team in Lebanon.

There is fear everywhere as Israel’s warplanes travel further into Lebanon than ever before and it is creating panic in places that were previously considered safe.

Local authorities have reported that 50 people have been killed by airstrikes, while hundreds more have been injured.

The number of people being displaced is increasing day by day and the needs on the ground are incredibly high. Lebanon was struggling before this latest crisis, but as more bombs fall, the humanitarian situation is becoming a catastrophe.

Israel’s attacks are more aggressive than before and the scale of the violence is huge. Before it was targeted, now it is more widespread.

A new displacement crisis

Displaced families are mainly coming from the south, escaping to safer regions like Mount Lebanon, Beirut and the north. The rush to escape southern Lebanon has left major roads jammed with fleeing families who have packed everything they can into cars and trucks. We have heard stories of 30-mile journeys taking hours to complete and worrying reports of pregnant women being forced to give birth by the side of roads.

Schools and public buildings are being used as shelters, set up by the government along with Lebanon’s Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Units and Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA) but these shelters are already overcrowded. In some, there is only 1 latrine between 50 people.

Those who cannot access these shelters, such as people with disabilities or pregnant women, are searching for alternative accommodation, which is difficult to find and often incredibly expensive.

Lebanon as a country has suffered in recent years, experiencing multiple crises including the 2020 Beirut port explosion, a refugee crisis and an economy in ruins. Even before the latest wave of mass displacement, nearly 874,000 people in Lebanon were classed as food insecure.

Now, these numbers are rising, and Lebanon is in more need than ever.

An important response

The needs on the ground are huge but Islamic Relief is responding.

We are working with the government and other aid agencies to make sure displaced families have the food and supplies they need.

We are providing displaced people with ready-to-eat hot meals, bottled water and hygiene kits. Over the coming days we plan to provide blankets, mattresses, and other necessary supplies; and ensure that healthcare settings have enough medical supplies to continue operating.

I pay tribute to my colleagues in Lebanon, many of whom are also fleeing the south and experiencing the same difficulties as the displaced people they’re supporting. They are working in a chaotic situation, under immense psychological stress, but are continuing to support others left vulnerable by this crisis.

It’s difficult to understate the concern felt in Lebanon right now. The situation is overwhelming, everyone is scared of what might come next. We urgently need a peaceful and diplomatic solution so that the people of Lebanon can recover from this latest humanitarian crisis.

Islamic Relief has been supporting vulnerable people in Lebanon since 2006. Please donate to our Lebanon Emergency Appeal and help us offer life-saving aid at this crucial time.