An employee at a Beirut city center restaurant loads sandwiches into a van to distribute to those who fled Israeli bombings and sought refuge in the Lebanese capital on November 1, 2024. (Photo credit: AFP)
“We’ve Been Left to Fend for Ourselves." On Thursday evening, local authorities and residents in Baalbeck (Bekaa region) issued a statement condemning the lack of state aid to the region, which has been under intense Israeli bombardment since the large-scale Israeli offensive on Lebanese territory began on Sept. 23, amidst the war with Hezbollah that broke out on Oct. 8, 2023.
Signed by “the moukhtars of the Baalbek district,” though without listing their names, the statement criticized the “lack of transparency” in distributing humanitarian aid by the Baalbek Union of Municipalities, led by Shafic Shahadeh. It called for explanations about the delivery process, guarantees for “fair distribution,” and the publication of clear lists detailing distribution locations and the number of beneficiaries. The statement followed complaints from many residents claiming they had received no assistance despite worsening living conditions.
Contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour, Ali Osman, moukhtar of Baalbeck and head of the Baalbeck Union of Moukhtars, said he was unaware of the statement’s origin. However, he acknowledged that many residents had complained to local officials about the dire lack of aid.
“We issued (a separate) statement clarifying that we are not responsible for the distribution,” he explained. “The association of moukhtars in the Baalbek district wishes to inform our esteemed citizens and the public that the distribution of food aid, relief, and assistance is exclusively managed by the Baalbek municipality and the Union of Municipalities. The moukhtars have no involvement in this matter,” the statement read.
For his part, Shahadeh, president of the Baalbek Union of Municipalities, also cast doubt on the origins of the statement, noting that the union manages only eight municipalities—Baalbeck, Maqneh, Younine, Nahleh, Iaat, Douris, Haoush Tal Safiya, and Majdaloun—where 13,000 families reside.
“If it were the whole district, we’d be talking about a hundred municipalities. This document is not serious. I don’t know who is behind it,” he said, denying the accusations against him. “No evidence has been presented,” he added, emphasizing that “all aid received is shared on the union’s Facebook account.”
6,175 Food Aid Packages Distributed
Shahadeh explained that aid distribution is based on a census conducted by each municipality and communicated to the Union. According to this data, the Council of the South, responsible for distribution for about a month, sends aid to the Baalbeck Union of Municipalities, which then forwards it to individual municipalities. For the first time since the war began, the Union received its first aid shipment. However, Israeli raids disrupted the process. “So far, we’ve received 6,175 food aid packages for Baalbek and Iaat,” Shahadeh stated.
In contrast, Ali Qossas, president of the Younine municipality, reported that his town had received no state aid since the war began.
“Except on Thursday, when we received 90 mattresses and 90 blankets,” he said. He added that Younine is expected to receive its first food aid shipment from the Council of the South within three days. Qossas criticized the lack of organization in aid distribution and the state’s absence.
“Aid is primarily distributed to shelters, leaving those in apartments forgotten. We hear of food aid and medical supplies arriving from foreign countries. Why aren’t they reaching our population, which is in desperate need?” he lamented. Countries like Jordan, the UAE, and Egypt have sent humanitarian aid to Lebanon.
Attempts to contact Baalbeck Governor Bachir Khodr and Nasser Yassine, head of the government’s Emergency Committee and caretaker Minister of the Environment, were unsuccessful. Yassine had stated a week prior that aid distributed to those displaced by the war in Lebanon only covers 15-20% of their needs, while over 1.4 million people have been displaced.
“We have people who decided to stay, others who had to return, and even displaced individuals,” explained Qossas, noting that Younine, home to 1,800 families, remains under bombardment. “These people can no longer work or move around. They can’t meet their basic needs,” he added.
“Neglect and Marginalization”
This is the reality for Oum Ali, a resident of another locality in the Baalbek region. Since the war began, the septuagenarian has not left her home. Her son’s business was reduced to ashes after an Israeli attack nearby. “It’s just poverty and misery,” she said. Five families now live in a single house. “The state does not help. It does not see us. Baalbeck is deprived of everything, marginalized. We don’t get food, heating supplies, medicine—nothing,” she said indignantly.
