Lebanon on the Brink

Lebanon, my beloved home since 1993, now teeters on the edge. The Gaza war is no longer distant — it’s at our doorstep. Hezbollah and Israel’s escalating conflict has turned southern Lebanon into a battleground. Over 100,000 people have been displaced. The hostilities have forced the closure of hospitals, clinics, and schools — and fear is gripping the entire nation. 

The shadow of a broader war looms large, deepening the already unbearable hardships faced by Lebanese citizens and the 1.5 million Syrian refugees the country has sheltered.

This nation, home to five million people, is now in the throes of crisis. The country’s extraordinary generosity to refugees has come at a cost, placing enormous strain on Lebanon’s already fragile infrastructure and deepening the challenges the country faces.

The economic collapse that began in 2019, followed by the devastating Beirut Port explosion in 2020, has exacerbated the struggles. The psychological trauma and loss of lives have left deep scars, adding to the collective grief that continues to haunt this beloved country.

As the country director in Lebanon for MedGlobal, a leading international humanitarian organization, I have seen firsthand the profound impact of these ongoing crises on vulnerable communities. The situation will deteriorate dramatically if the conflict escalates into full-scale war.

Voices of Refugees

A mother in a refugee camp near the Lebanon-Syrian border, who fled from Syria with her three children, told me, “Every day is a struggle. We lack basic necessities like clean water and proper sanitation. My children are constantly ill, and the fear is overwhelming.”

A displaced Lebanese family in southern Lebanon voiced similar distress. “We thought we had escaped the worst by coming here,” a father told me. “But now, we are met with hostility from local communities already strained by their own hardships. Haven’t we suffered enough? Everything is overpriced. We feel trapped in a cycle of suffering.”

An elderly woman in Beirut, living alone with a meager pension, struggles daily. Her chronic medication has become an unaffordable luxury. “I worked all my life, and now, when I need help the most, there is no one,” she recently told me, tears in her eyes. “I can’t afford my medications, and I have no one to take care of me. I’m just waiting to die.”

Impossible Choices

The once-thriving middle class now faces poverty, forced to make impossible choices between food, medicine, and education for their children. The economic crash has led to a dramatic rise in prices, making it nearly impossible for people to afford basic necessities. Medications, once affordable, are now out of reach for many. I have seen patients who have had to choose between buying food and purchasing life-saving medications.

The recent escalation of conflict has only exacerbated the dire situation in Lebanon. Public services, already stretched thin by years of economic decline and political instability, are now on the brink of collapse. Electricity is scarce, with blackouts becoming a common occurrence, leaving people without power for hours, sometimes days. The basic infrastructure is failing, and the sense of hopelessness is palpable. The collective despair is deepening as more and more Lebanese face the harsh reality that the country they once knew and loved is slipping further into chaos.

Syrian refugees, who fled their homes seeking safety more than a decade ago amid intractable civil war, now find themselves in a precarious situation. Many live in informal settlements, struggling to access basic necessities like clean water, food, and healthcare. 

A Plea For Restraint

The fear of all-out war is intensifying, especially after the recent killings of senior Hezbollah and Fatah officials, along with Syrian refugees, in Beirut and southern Lebanon. This nation, which has endured so much, now faces an even greater danger as the tit-for-tat violence threatens to spiral out of control.

In this time of crisis, the international community’s support is more crucial than ever. Immediate and sustained aid is vital, but it is not enough. As a humanitarian worker, I urgently call on all regional powers to refrain from further escalating this deadly conflict. Lebanon cannot afford to be pushed to the edge. The world must act to de-escalate tensions.

This is not just a plea; it is a love letter to my adopted home. Though I am Iraqi on paper, I am Lebanese at heart. It’s where I have my family, my friends, my memories, and where I became a doctor and later a humanitarian worker.

Now is the time for unity, compassion, and, above all, restraint. We must stand together to support Lebanon and its people before it is too late. If we allow this conflict to escalate, the consequences will be catastrophic, not just for Lebanon but for the entire region. The world must not turn a blind eye to the suffering of the Lebanese people. We need more than just words. We need action, and we need it now.

Cover image: Dr. Tania Baban high-fiving a Syrian refugee child in Arsal, Lebanon, during MedGlobal’s distribution of winterization and hygiene kits to Syrian families, June 2, 2021.