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Updates |
Dr Hany El Banna, President of Islamic Relief travelled
to Lebanon during the conflict to join the aid effort.
Returning on the 7th of August, he spoke to UK staff
about his experiences in the region.
Q: Having recently returned from Lebanon, could you
describe the impact of the ongoing conflict on the lives
of ordinary people?
Devastating. It has had a shattering impact on the lives
of ordinary people. They are living in fear and horror
because of the bombardment. They feel unsafe and
uncertain of what is happening, not knowing if they’ll
live another day or even an hour.
Around a quarter of the entire population has been
displaced. Those people who had the means have fled
abroad. We met some of them in Damascus, Syria, where
180,000 refugees have arrived. They’re living in schools
and government buildings.
Almost a million people have been displaced within
Lebanon. Perhaps more worryingly there are some
vulnerable people, the elderly and the disabled who have
no money and have had to stay in their deserted villages
and towns, facing extreme danger and deprivation.
Q: There has been particular concern about the
welfare of children, who have disproportionately been
the victims of this conflict. Why do you think this is?
When you have indiscriminate bombing, it can kill
anyone. The little ones are some of the most vulnerable
as they cannot run very fast. The children I met when I
was in Lebanon were bewildered by what was happening –
the bombing, shelling and shooting. I think these
experiences will have a traumatic effect on the future
generation.
Q: Can you describe some of the difficulties that aid
agencies have faced in providing humanitarian relief to
the people of Lebanon?
The only entrance to Lebanon is via Syria. There used to
be 3 roads, but 2 are closed due to bombings. It takes 3
to 4 hours for a car to get to the Lebanon border -
imagine how long it would take for a heavy truckload of
relief aid?
Because of the destruction, we had to unload the lorries
onto smaller trucks to take the aid as far as Tripoli.
Then we unloaded the trucks onto smaller vehicles in
order to get across the bombed-out roads towards the
south. Even finding drivers willing to risk their lives
by taking the aid was difficult.
There is no such thing as a safe route, not even for
ambulances or relief aid. Every vehicle is a potential
target.
Q: How would you describe the morale of the people
you met in Lebanon, in the face of this conflict?
Judging by the people I met, there was a strong spirit
amongst them. There is a spirit of self-help and a
strong sense of community and co-operation. Although the
Lebanese are very diverse, Muslims – Druze, Sunni, Shia,
and Christians, all had united in the face of this
conflict and were helping those in need to the best of
their ability, regardless of their background. They
weren’t waiting for outside help, they were hard at work
doing as much as they could.
Q: Tell us about some of the people you met on your
travels. Is there anyone who stands out in your mind?
In Sidon, I met some of Islamic Relief’s sponsored
orphans. One was a young boy named Bilal. Although he
was only eight years old, he spoke confidently and
passionately about his expectations of life. He told us,
“I have the right to live, nobody can deny me. I have
the right to be heard, the right to play, the right to
education. I am going to live!” He gave me hope.
In Nabatiyya we met some women who had fled their
villages near the southern border with Israel and were
now living in a community centre. They displayed such
strength of spirit. They told us, “We don’t want your
food. What we want is an end to the war.” They wanted
peace and safety for themselves and their families, and
a return to normality so that they could feed themselves
without anyone’s help.
Q: Islamic Relief is part of a UK campaign backed by
many humanitarian agencies which called for an immediate
ceasefire in Lebanon. What message do you have from the
people of Lebanon to the international community?
The message from the people of Lebanon is that the
international community has failed them. There is an
increasing sense amongst them of anger and abandonment
by the world community. How can you talk about peace
tomorrow if you don’t call for peace today?
To the world’s leaders I would simply say this, see the
agony of these people as if they were your own people.
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Islamic
Relief Orphan Died in Lebanon |
Anwar Al Awad, 15, an orphan sponsored by Islamic Relief
was killed in his sister's home near Sidon in Lebanon on
8 August when Israeli rockets hit a neighbouring house.
Anwar's family had been staying with his sister in the
Ein El-Helwi refugee camp outside Sidon. They fled there
from their home further south near Tyre when the
conflict started.
Injured
The Palestinian refugee camp was targeted in a
military strike, which caused a large electric pylon to
crash down upon the house. There were 18 people inside
at the time. Most of them were injured, including
Anwar's brother, Ahmad, 14, who is now in intensive
care.
Anwar died at the scene. Ahmad was taken to the Hammoud
Hospital in Sidon with a fractured pelvis and wounds to
the face. Ahmad's condition remains critical. He is
losing a lot of blood and needs blood transfusions. His
doctors fear that his life will be in danger if the
bleeding does not stop soon.
Speaking from Lebanon, Marc-Andre LaGrange, Head of
Mission, said, “Everybody here is deeply shocked by the
death of our orphan in Sidon.”
Sponsorship
Both brothers were supported by Islamic Relief's
One-to-One Sponsorship scheme which allows IR donors to
support an orphaned child in Asia, Africa, the Middle
East or Eastern Europe.
With the help of a local partner organisation, donors
are currently sponsoring over 700 Palestinian orphans
living in refugee camps in Lebanon. Many have been
displaced by the conflict.
IR aid workers monitor the welfare of sponsored orphans
ensuring that their needs in terms of food, shelter,
healthcare, education and emotional support are met.
In a war zone, however, there is no safe place for
children.
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Middle East
Crisis |
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At least 900
people have been killed and
3,000 injured in military
strikes across Lebanon, but Red
Cross figures suggest the death
count may be higher. Most of the
dead are civilians, many of them
children.
The attacks have caused
extensive damage across Lebanon,
with roads, bridges, airports
and electricity power plants in
ruins. The worst affected areas
are south Lebanon, Bekaa Valley
and Beirut.
The United Nations has secured
agreements to transport aid into
Beirut, and the first relief
convoy to the southern city of
Tyre carried 90 tonnes of food
and medical supplies safely into
the city.
Islamic Relief aid workers are
meeting with the UN and other
aid agencies to coordinate the
relief effort, and IR's partners
in Lebanon are distributing aid
to thousands of people fleeing
the fighting.
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Internal
Refugees |
A humanitarian
crisis is inevitable as
thousands of refugees
gather in the main
cities. A quarter of the
entire Lebanese
population, or between
750,000 and a million
people, have fled their
homes in fear of the
fighting.
Beirut is hosting over
200,000 internal
refugees in schools and
other government
buildings, and over
150,000 people have fled
across the border into
Syria.
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Civilians
affected by the Conflict |
The economy has come
to a standstill and the
attacks have caused an
estimated $4 billion
worth of damage. There
is a shortage of fuel in
many areas and the price
of basic goods has
skyrocketed.
Health centres in the
affected area have been
abandoned, leaving the
injured with little
access to medical
treatment. Power cuts
and intermittent water
supplies are limiting
the ability of hospitals
to treat the injured.
Ambulances and medical
convoys have also been
hit in the strikes.
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Palestine |
In Palestine, the
latest escalation of
violence comes after a
freeze on foreign aid to
the Palestinian
Authority which left
165,000 civil servants
without pay.
Approximately 700,000
people have been
directly affected by the
aid freeze.
The closing of borders
around Gaza has cut off
the normal flow of food,
medicines and fuel -
although a limited
amount of supplies have
been allowed in.
The greatest fear is, as
always, for the most
vulnerable in society,
the infirm, the elderly
and children who make up
around half of the
Palestinian population.
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Islamic
Relief’s Action
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Islamic Relief has
launched an emergency
appeal for €4 million
and has allocated an
initial €1 million to
provide humanitarian
assistance to civilians
caught up in the
conflict.
IR's disaster response
staff have arrived in
Syria to assess the
situation and to
coordinate efforts with
the UN and other
agencies. IR aid workers
are also on route to
southern Lebanon.
Islamic Relief has
provided over €50,000 to
our partners in Lebanon,
the Islamic Welfare
Association (ISWA) to
distribute food,
medicine, household
supplies, and other
relief items.
Additional relief
supplies have been
shipped into Lebanon,
including 4,000 jerry
cans, 2,000 family
hygiene kits, and 10,000
sleeping mats which will
be distributed in the
next few days.
In Palestine, Islamic
Relief aid workers in
Gaza are distributing
13,000 food parcels to
the poorest families. |
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Donations |
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237 237
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0799
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022
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184
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Worldwide: +44 121 622
0622
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