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Humanitarian
Crisis in Lebanon is Huge
Sami Hermez
The Mountain
Mail (8/24/06)
Minuteman Media
After passage
of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and the ensuing
"cessation of hostilities," hundreds of thousands of displaced
Lebanese are venturing across bombed roads and bridges returning
to their destroyed homes and villages in the south.
Although Israel's
aerial bombardment has ended for the moment, Lebanon's humanitarian
crisis continues to worsen because the unanimously passed resolution
failed to address Israel's blockade and the needs of all the internally
displaced.
These two major
problems demand the world's urgent attention.
The Israeli
military continues to impose an air and naval blockade on Lebanon,
preventing necessary fuel and relief supplies from reaching the
country. Aug. 16, the Lebanese government received permission for
two fuel tankers to dock, but additional supplies will be needed
to replenish fuel and food stocks depleted by the month-long siege.
The blockade
is worsening the humanitarian disaster created by Israel's bombing
campaign, and Israel must lift it immediately. Underscoring the
need for this is the time required for aid to arrive and be distributed;
Beirut International Airport, for example, is estimated to need
at least one week of repairs before it can function at a minimal
level.
While stranded
civilians of the south suffered from bombardment and heavy warfare,
the rest of the country struggled to care for the internally displaced
- many of whom were forced to take shelter in schools and parking
garages.
Even as some
of the more than 900,000 return to their villages, thousands - often
among the poorest and without vehicles - remain in Beirut and other
parts of the country with no reliable access to relief.
Eventually,
these displaced citizens will have to find the resources to return
to their villages and assess the cost and effort of rebuilding.
It is unclear if the government has the wherewithal to meet the
needs and concerns of the thousands left homeless.
Hezbollah's
leaders, on the other hand, have stepped forward to announce they
will spearhead the relief and reconstruction effort.
Throughout the
month-long war, the Lebanese government and international and domestic
relief agencies struggled to meet enormous needs. The High Council
for Relief, the official body in charge, faces accusations of corruption
and mismanagement, and there is widespread anger directed at the
government for its lack of coordination and effectiveness.
In the absence
of government assistance, local relief efforts sprang up in Beirut
and other areas, but lacked resources and coordination. Neither
the Lebanese government nor civil society institutions were prepared
to meet the needs of nearly 1 million displaced citizens under conditions
of siege.
Sectarian political
parties continue to fill the role of independent civil society organizations.
Although the outpouring of volunteer relief efforts converged around
immediate need to help the displaced, it's doubtful if the crisis
contributed to a lasting national consensus that can address Lebanon's
long-term reconstruction. Lebanon will require outside help for
the foreseeable future.
A cease fire
is not enough to end the emergency in Lebanon. To prevent an even
deeper catastrophe, the international community must call for an
immediate end to Israel's blockade of Lebanon and address the needs
of the internally displaced.
Although no
reliable figures for the total cost of rebuilding the country are
available, the Lebanese government conservatively estimates infrastructure
damage alone could amount to $2.5 billion.
Although the
United States has pledged $50 million in humanitarian assistance
to Lebanon thus far, the United States provided Israel with $2.6
billion in military and economic aid in 2005. Lebanon is justified
in demanding reparations from Israel, but the international community,
including the United States, will need to contribute in significant
amounts to the reconstruction effort regardless.
As volunteers
begin to leave and donor attention begins to move elsewhere, believing
that the worst has passed, it is critical the international community
not lose sight of this humanitarian crisis.
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Sami Hermez is a Lebanese-American doctoral candidate in anthropology
at Princeton University. He has been volunteering as part of the
relief effort in Beirut.
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