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Lebanese prime minister, Hassan Diab, was forced to resign over an explosion in Beirut that killed more than 200 people.
Diab resigned after more than a third of the ministers in the Lebanese cabinet resigned since the explosion, which was caused after an explosion in Warehouse 12 at the city’s Mediterranean port. The finger pointing since the explosion has been symptomatic of a government that has failed its citizens for years and has mismanaged the country to such an extent that more Lebanese people now live outside the nation’s borders than within them.
Since the explosion, the world’s attention has been turned to Lebanon and the plight of the Lebanese people, which has particularly intensified during the Coronavirus pandemic. The nation has been facing hyperinflation, government corruption and water shortages, prompting mass protests which began in 2019 and forced the previous prime minister Saad Hariri to resign.
Given the media spotlight now on the crises in Lebanon, Westerners have been encouraged – particularly on social media – to help Lebanese people in their fight against the injustice and suffering they are experiencing by donating through specific charities, which will direct funds to the Lebanese people.
The power of social media has been making people aware of the various crises afflicting people across the world, with the killing of George Floyd, Hong Kong’s protests, the Yemen War, Uighur ‘re-education’ camps and the Lebanese crisis all examples of previously little known issues that have gained significant, albeit temporary, attention through social media.
For those looking to donate to those facing a desperate situation in Lebanon, many have been encouraged to donate to the Lebanese Red Cross. They are one of the main providers of emergency healthcare in Lebanon and have been directing resources to Beirut, to help with the approximately 4000 people injured by the blast.
Impact Lebanon are one of the largest non-profits currently coordinating relief within the country. Their crowdfunding campaign is aiming to provide relief on the ground, directing much of its donations towards the Red Cross, whilst assisting in the efforts to find those still missing after the blast.
Whilst many national government’s have donated aid to Lebanon in recent days, with the United Kingdom pledging £20 million, the United Nations have a coordinated programme to tackle the hyperinflated food prices, which are leaving many unable to afford food. The UN Food Program provides food to those left homeless by the explosion, or priced out of eating.
A similar food relief programme is being provided by Islamic Aid, which is working to build a food supply chain in Beirut, after the port – which was one of the main import hubs in Lebanon – was severely damaged in the explosion.
Whichever way people choose to support, Lebanon is another nation in a desperate situation that social media is allowing to become accessible. Whereas before issues were primarily the response of governments and government organisations, increasingly, humanitarian aid is issue specific and funded organically through grassroots campaigns and individual donations.
This comes with potential problems, such as the trivialisation of important and life-threatening events, but it cannot be denied that the ability for anybody to assist in the humanitarian crises across the globe has a positive impact in promoting swift action and global responses.
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Calum Paton is a History and Politics student at the University of Warwick. His writing predominantly focuses on American and British politics. Twitter: @Paton_Calum
