“I left my home in the southern suburb of Beirut, which is one of the centers of gravity of the Lebanese Hezbollah deployment, shortly after the bombing and counter-bombing that took place between both the party and the Israeli side in southern Lebanon,” this is what Muhammad Ahmed told DW, pointing out that the Haret Hreik area, where he lives, witnessed the most violent attacks. Bombing in the July 2006 war.
In this context, Muhammad, who moved to the Christian area of Ain al-Rummaneh, east of Beirut, believes that what is happening in Gaza and Israel, coupled with the skirmishes taking place on the Lebanese border, do not indicate a minimum of stability. It is better, according to Muhammad, to leave the suburb and stick to the areas that might Be neutral in the event of any unexpected development.
In turn, Khadija Hamdan, a mother of two children in the southern town of Kafra, left her home and was displaced towards the southern suburb of Beirut. For Khadija, the suburb is less dangerous than the south. Khadija recalls the July 2006 war, telling DW: “What we suffered in July 2006 was extremely cruel. If the war develops now, I will not be able to take my children out of the south, but my presence in the suburb will make it easier for me to move to safer areas if I retreat.” Widespread war ball from Lebanon.
In terms of preparations, Khadija confirms that since the first day of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, she has been keeping her car’s fuel tank filled with gasoline, pointing out that “village people do not fear hunger in wars, as the houses are full of food supplies, but gasoline is necessary to move from one danger zone to another more.” For safety, I kept gasoline in my car in case of any emergency.”
Children from Lebanese border villages play inside a school in southern Lebanon after taking refuge there
Gas stations in Lebanon in general, and those spread in Beirut in particular, witnessed stifling crowding on the night of Monday, Tuesday, October 9 and 10, as queues extended widely throughout the Lebanese capital. The Lebanese rushed to fill the tanks of their cars with fuel, and others resorted to supplies. With basic food commodities. Among them is Qasim Abdullah, who packed his house with food supplies, considering that the course of events does not bode well, and there is no escape, according to Qasim, from “storing bread, grains, and whatever canned food is available.”
Displacement from border villages
In a context related to the displacement movement, the mayor of Tire, Hassan Dabouq, expects the rate of displacement from the villages of the south towards the southern cities, such as the city of Tire and its schools, to increase. He revealed to DW that since Monday evening, approximately 200 people have been displaced from the border villages of Maroun al-Ras, Ainata, and Bint Jbeil. While he explains that the Disaster Reduction Unit in the Union of Tire Municipalities is working to receive displaced people in schools, he points out that the displacement situation is expected to increase following the escalation on the Lebanese-Israeli border.
“I was not expecting all of this. At 3 a.m. on Monday, October 9, 2023, I heard sounds of missiles in the vicinity of my house. I called my neighbors and we planned to evacuate the building as soon as the situation escalated.” This is what Hanaa Al-Meligy, a housewife and mother of two children from the city of Tyre, in southern Lebanon, reveals.
“I went to the travel agency and applied for an entry visa for me and my children to come to Dubai to join my husband,” Al-Meligy says. She added: “On my way, I saw queues of cars in front of gas stations. The shops had begun to close. I felt afraid and anxious about the scene. I went back and packed my bags. When we heard about the killing of Hezbollah fighters, we evacuated the place because we were expecting the party’s reaction and were afraid.” from the outbreak of war.” Hana concludes, “We see what is happening in Gaza, where the scenes are heartbreaking, and I cannot imagine what will happen to us if the war starts.”
Lebanese people are supplying additional amounts of fuel in anticipation of any emergency. Will they remain immune to war?
An explosive field situation
On the ground, the Lebanese-Israeli border is witnessing constant tension due to renewed rocket firing from Lebanon and counter-bombardment from the Israeli side from time to time. Things took an escalatory turn two days ago after the Iranian-backed Hezbollah announced the killing of three of its fighters in an Israeli bombing of its positions.
The party, which is classified as a terrorist organization in Germany, the United States of America, and some Arab countries, responded by targeting Israeli military sites and armored vehicles, considering that its response was a confirmation of the established rules of engagement, which depend on balancing the amount of damage and targeting, as the party’s leadership previously expressed.
While observers believe that the rounds of bombing and counter-bombing between Hezbollah and Israel are still localized despite the seriousness of the situation, the director of the Levant Center for Strategic Affairs, Sami Nader, stresses that the confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel are still within the rules of engagement drawn up since the 2006 war, but everything depends on the context of the operation. The military in Gaza and what the scene is witnessing there.
Sami Nader told DW: “Everyone is aware of the seriousness of the internal situation. Lebanon does not have the steadfastness that it had in 2006. At that time, Hezbollah had not been involved in Syria or the Arabs and a large portion of the Lebanese had turned against it. Lebanon in 2006 was in a situation different from what it is now.” It is today, Arab and internal, in addition to the stormy economic crisis in Lebanon since 2019 that has put the majority of the Lebanese people below the poverty line, and thus there are no economic steadfastness for the Lebanese.”
Mohamed Ahmed from the balcony of his apartment in eastern Beirut – October 11, 2023
While he points out the possibility that Iran, “in order to reduce pressure on Gaza and maintain its investments in the region,” will resort to opening the Lebanon front, especially since the skirmishes that we have seen in recent days on the border with Israel, and although they did not exceed the rules of engagement, they indicate that There is military preparedness on both sides, and the front is not calm and is likely to ignite at any moment.”
Fragile internal situation
Lebanon may constitute the most difficult front for Israel from a military standpoint, but the internal situation is very fragile due to the vertical political division between the Lebanese parties. The country has been suffering from a presidential vacuum for more than a year, and the legislative authority represented by the House of Representatives has been suspended since the end of the term of former President Michel. Aoun, and the executive authority, represented by the government, operates within a narrow framework of powers limited to conducting business, as it is an independent and inauthentic government.
Hence, the previous factors together raise big questions about Lebanon’s ability to manage the crisis in the event that its front ignites and things slide towards a wide-scale war.
Muhammad Shreiteh – Beirut
On the second anniversary of the port explosion… Lebanon is still in pain!
Port explosion… a wound still bleeding
On August 4, 2020, a massive explosion occurred in Beirut. The authorities attributed the explosion to large quantities of ammonium nitrate stored in Hangar No. 12 at the port since 2014. The explosion, which is one of the largest non-nuclear explosions recorded in the world, caused massive destruction to the port and the neighborhoods near it, killing 214 people and injuring 6,500 others. Experts said the silos absorbed much of the impact of the explosion, sparing the city from worse damage.
On the second anniversary of the port explosion… Lebanon is still in pain!
The collapse of grain silos heals wounds
Although two years have passed since the horrific explosion, the sight of the destroyed silos still hurts the Lebanese to this day. Recently, a fire broke out, which officials said was the result of the summer heat igniting the rotting grain inside, which later led to the collapse of part of the silos. Citizens rejected a proposal to remove the destroyed buildings and insisted that they remain to remind everyone of the tragedy. The Lebanese view the explosion as a symbol of corruption and mismanagement by the ruling elite.
On the second anniversary of the port explosion… Lebanon is still in pain!
The first Ukrainian grain ship… for Lebanon
The suffering of many countries is increasing due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, following an agreement sponsored by Turkey and the United Nations between Russia and Ukraine, the first ship carrying Ukrainian grain left the port of Odessa, heading to Lebanon. According to the agreement, the cargo ship “Razoni”, flying the Sierra Leone flag, will first be inspected in Istanbul by the concerned parties, before continuing its journey towards its final destination, which is the Lebanese city of Tripoli.
On the second anniversary of the port explosion… Lebanon is still in pain!
The case of the ship “Ludicia”
As part of the latest repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the discriminatory Public Prosecutor in Lebanon issued a decision to seize a ship transporting barley, which the Ukrainian embassy in Beirut said was carried illegally from areas in Ukraine that have become under Russian control. The ship “Ludicia” flying the Syrian flag was detained in the port of Tripoli in northern Lebanon, while the General Directorate of Customs and the Internal Security Forces began conducting investigations.
On the second anniversary of the port explosion… Lebanon is still in pain!
An economic collapse that does not stop
Lebanon is suffering from a severe economic crisis that the World Bank has classified as among the worst in the world since 1850, which has led to the local currency losing more than 90% of its value against the dollar, and the ability of the Central Bank to support the import of vital goods, including wheat, fuel, and medicines, has diminished. Since the beginning of the crisis, the Lebanese authorities have held part of the responsibility for the collapse of more than a million Syrian refugees living in difficult humanitarian conditions after fleeing the war in their country.
On the second anniversary of the port explosion… Lebanon is still in pain!
Bread crisis.. Is there hope for a solution soon?
In light of the economic crisis, the Lebanese Ministry of Economy raised bread prices several times over the past two years. The Russian invasion of Ukraine exacerbated the difficulty of the situation in Lebanon due to the cessation of wheat exports, especially since Lebanon imports 80% of its needs from Ukraine. Every day, the queues in front of bakeries grow longer, and the price of a loaf of subsidized bread (6 loaves) has risen to 13,000 Lebanese pounds, while its price has exceeded 30,000 on the black market.
On the second anniversary of the port explosion… Lebanon is still in pain!
Protests erupt
The Lebanese government’s announcement in late 2019 of its intention to impose a financial fee on free communications via electronic messaging applications such as WhatsApp sparked the anger of the Lebanese. The announcement coincided with the collapse of the price of the lira and the worsening of the bread crisis, causing thousands to take to the streets to express their rejection of the decision and their desire to overthrow the regime.
On the second anniversary of the port explosion… Lebanon is still in pain!
Resignation of the Hariri government
Despite Saad Hariri’s government withdrawing from imposing a financial tax on communications, protests continued. The demonstrations increased and the level of demands rose to the point of demanding the departure of the ruling class that had not been affected by fundamental change for decades and was accused of corruption and incompetence. In the wake of the demonstrations, Hariri resigned on October 29, 2019, while the pace of the financial crisis accelerated. Depositors’ funds were frozen amid a liquidity crisis in hard currency and a collapse of the local currency
On the second anniversary of the port explosion… Lebanon is still in pain!
The port explosion topples Diab’s government
On August 8, 2021, thousands of Lebanese demonstrated against Lebanese officials who held them responsible for the tragedy of the Beirut port explosion. The demonstrations witnessed violent confrontations between angry protesters and security forces, who used tear gas and rubber bullets. Later, a number of ministers announced their resignation one by one, until Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced on August 10, 2021, the resignation of his government.
On the second anniversary of the port explosion… Lebanon is still in pain!
Macron initiative
On the first anniversary of the port explosion, French President Emmanuel Macron organized an international conference to support Lebanon, the third in cooperation with the United Nations. France pledged to provide financial aid worth 100 million euros to Lebanon, in addition to half a million doses of coronavirus vaccines. Through the conference, Paris sought to collect urgent humanitarian aid worth $350 million.
On the second anniversary of the port explosion… Lebanon is still in pain!
Corona crisis
In February 2020, Lebanon recorded its first infection with the Coronavirus. The burdens gradually accumulated on the health sector, which was exhausted by the dire economic situation the country is experiencing. In the absence of government plans to deal with the virus and the succession of economic and political crises, the country’s epidemiological situation began to take a worse turn with the outbreak of the Delta mutant.
On the second anniversary of the port explosion… Lebanon is still in pain!
Successive crises
Due to the accelerating economic collapse, more than half of the Lebanese are below the poverty line, according to the United Nations. The Lebanese pound also lost more than 90 percent of its value against the dollar on the black market, while the prices of all materials and goods rose, to the point that the prices of basic foodstuffs rose by more than 70 percent in two years. The country is also witnessing a fuel crisis, a scarcity of medicine, and power outages of up to 22 hours.
On the second anniversary of the port explosion… Lebanon is still in pain!
The port issue freezes and a political crisis with the Gulf
On October 14, 2021, the situation flared up as a result of sectarian objections to the performance of the judicial investigator in the port explosion, Judge Tariq Al-Bitar, and a shooting occurred, killing 7 people. The case was frozen due to the influx of complaints against the judge by officials whom he accused of involvement in the disaster. In the same month, the Gulf states recalled their ambassadors and Saudi Arabia banned Lebanese imports in protest against the statements of the Minister of Information at the time, George Qardahi, due to the war in Yemen.
On the second anniversary of the port explosion… Lebanon is still in pain!
Health concerns about the impact of new fires
As the fires returned to the destroyed grain silos, the Beirut sky glowed orange in the dark of the night inside a port that still resembled a disaster area, amid expectations of more collapses, not in buildings alone but in various sectors. Health and environmental experts recommended that residents of the area near the silos wear special masks to protect against the effects of burning rotten grains and the germs they carry. When will Lebanon emerge from its crises? Prepared by: Imad Hassan/Iman Malouk
2023-10-12 19:28:59
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