Christian Aid warns of 'underground disaster' in Lebanon

Social justice news
August 2006

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Christian Aid warns of
'underground disaster' in Lebanon
Christian Aid emergencies specialist Dominic Nutt, stationed in war-torn Beirut, has warned that the humanitarian crisis facing Lebanon could be far greater than previously thought.

There is a hidden problem of internally displaced people who are living on people's floors, in basements and schools, he said. In addition there are signs that fuel is running out, while water supplies in the capital and elsewhere are intermittent.

"It is impossible to be precise about the extent of the humanitarian crisis that is facing Lebanon," said Nutt. "This is not a tsunami where you can see the people who have been affected. By definition, many people are in hiding. They have run away from the bombing.

"Today, I met three families – 12 people in total including children as young as 18 months – living in a dank, humid, windowless basement.

"They were being helped by Association Najdeh, a Lebanese organisation funded by Christian Aid. They were lucky because they found this place after their homes were destroyed on the first day of the Israeli bombardment. This means they have a safe haven in which to stay, even though it is a horrific, soulless place, and they have been given clothes and will receive food from our colleagues from Najdeh who are taking families into their own homes and sharing their wages with them.

"Many people are relying on charity and have been absorbed into the city by friends, neighbours and even strangers. Others are living in schools and parks and wherever they can."

Nutt said that there were rumors that fuel supplies for both cars and for generators are running out. Added to this, it has been reported that many people are stuck in their villages while aid workers, including the UN, are unable to reach them.

"Those that are left are too old, too weak or too poor to move. And the Israelis are not allowing safe access so that aid workers can reach them.

"It is impossible to know exactly how many people have been affected in Lebanon, but it is clear that the numbers of people displaced and in need of assistance is huge, particularly for those villages cut off in the south of the country."

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