A statement by The Ambassadors of the United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark, and Japan
Today marks a year since the brutal, unjustified and unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine. In that year, thousands of innocent Ukrainian people have been killed, and millions forced from their homes.
We, the Embassies of Australia, Denmark, Japan and the United Kingdom will tonight light up our shared Embassies’ Complex here in Beirut in the colours of the Ukrainian flag.
We do so because our countries share not only a common building, but common values: respect for the principles of the UN charter, for territorial integrity and for human rights.
As such we stand, in unwavering solidarity with Ukraine.
The Ukrainians are defending their right, our right, and the right of everyone to live in freedom. We commend and support their bravery in the face of such aggression. Russia cannot and will not succeed.
Russia has consistently underestimated Ukraine. Russia planned to seize Ukraine in three days. 365 days later, Ukraine continues to liberate territory and push back Russian forces. This gives hope for Ukraine’s long-term ability to withstand Russia’s aggression.
It is imperative for a lasting peace that Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and the UN Charter must be respected.
Russia’s invasion has led to global suffering, with impacts felt here in Lebanon and across the world. Food insecurity has hit the poor the hardest. The Lebanese people should not have to bear further hardship because of Russian expansionist ambitions.
One year ago, Lebanon was the first country in the Middle East to speak unequivocally against Russia’s actions and in support of the UN Charter. In doing so Lebanon stood amongst friends, and with the majority of the international community.
We raise the Ukrainian flag today in support of the Ukrainian people and their brave fight against Russian aggression. We, good neighbours in Beirut from four countries and three continents, stand together in support of Ukraine and the values it is defending so bravely and which we, like Lebanon, share.
*The Ambassadors of the United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark, and Japan.
The small Scottish charity Edinburgh Direct Aid has deployed a team of carpenters and other construction workers, trained in their vocational training depot in Arsal, Lebanon, to repair windows and doors destroyed by the recent blast in Beirut port.
Maggie Tookey, EDA’s international aid director, has arrived in Beirut to lead and plan the work. EDA is one of the very few NGO’s, so far, to begin actual repair work.
For over 6 years Edinburgh Direct Aid has been helping 50,000 Syrian refugees in Arsal, a small Lebanese town high above the Bekaa valley, near the Syrian border. All this aid has been passing through Beirut.
Now EDA has brought a team of Syrian refugees from Arsal to Beirut to carry out emergency repairs after the explosion at the port on August 4th. The team is drawn from graduates of construction courses at EDA’s vocational training centre in Arsal, which are run in partnership with the German “Green Helmets” organisation.
EDA and Green Helmets, are working together in Karantina, a poor residential area of Beirut near the port. Many living in this area have lost not only friends & family, but also their jobs at the port, & have suffered heavy damage to their houses.
While many NGOs in Beirut are providing food & medical supplies, or carrying out damage assessment, the EDA – Green Helmets team is one of very few (so far) actually working to shore up & repair houses.
The team brought with them woodworking & other machinery from Arsal, now set up in a marquee on some nearby waste ground, & is using its specialised skills to make & replace doors & windows & their frames as needed, & to carry out other repairs to ensure the traumatised local people have shelter.
Working conditions are grim. The need for precautions against coronavirus is ever prevalent; the midsummer heat is relentless; access to supplies & communications in the city is erratic.
MAGGIE TOOKEY, Edinburgh Direct Aid’s international projects director, is leading the team in Beirut. OnWednesday, she wrote from the scene:
“Beirut is complete chaos. It feels to have lost all its spirit but the strength of the continuing protests seem to belie that. Maybe it’s the depth of anger that everyone seems to hold, apparent in everyone I speak to about how the explosion and the economic collapse came to pass. The city seems to have no guidance and no authority to control anything. It’s almost lawless despite the state of emergency and the presence of the Lebanese army on the streets.
“Traffic congestion is the worst I’ve ever known. It takes me almost 2 hours to get to our work site near the port – a distance of 6 kilometres. I’ve now measured it. The army closes roads at random. Inside the city, thousands of volunteers are sweeping up glass and masonry and endless streams of small trucks come to take it away, choking up the narrow streets even more. Much of it gets left – swept into big piles in any corner behind houses and kiosks, probably destined to remain there for months/years.
Maggie’s ‘office’
“The port area which I pass every day, is a sort of Ground Zero. Nothing is recognisable in the blast area. A desert of twisted metal overlooked by huge and ruined silo towers, still standing but spilling out their contents to form a grain mountain.
“People come to stare in the evening when it’s cooler. They come from all over Lebanon taking selfies and endless pictures of the disaster. They come in big 4 wheel drive cars, blocking the roads and preventing those of us trying to get to work. It’s very hard not to get out and yell at them when stuck at a chaotic road intersection for 20 minutes unable to move. The police are useless. They do nothing. They’ve given up.
“The blast was terrifying. 50% of the force went out to sea towards Cyprus. The other 50% went deep into the city. God only knows what would have happened had the blast not been on a small peninsula by the sea.
“Karantina is an area of roughly 1 sq km, the nearest part being less then 500 meters from the epicentre of the blast. The community is mostly poor Lebanese and a few Syrian families. EDA, along with our partners, the Green Helmets, have set up a carpentry workshop with machinery brought from our base in Arsal and a team of EDA refugees trained in setting up shelters and repairing housing in Arsal.
“The workshop is on a patch of rough land by several blocks of 3/4 storey flats which have all suffered damage. As with many buildings the explosion blasted out windows and doors.
“There’s also some structural damage: we have an engineer in our team to check possible problems. Many men in these families are port workers; some were killed or injured and most have lost friends in the explosion.
“The team is making window frames, door frames on site in the makeshift workshop and every night, 2 of the team take turns in sleeping there to guard the valuable, rented machinery. We have a target of 200 windows but of course the need is endless. We will see how the project plays out in terms of funding. Right now it’s hot, hard, noisy work but the residents are delighted to get our help.
Meanwhile in Beirut the protests continue; sometimes the army fires off their guns to clear the streets which causes alarm when it’s close by.”
Edinburgh Direct Aid initial target is to repair 100 apartments at a cost of around $10,000. With more cash we could do much more, to help out not only with repairs in Beirut, but also in mitigation of the terrible effects of the hyper-inflation & lock down in Arsal.
To help pay for this work by refugees making some repayment for the sanctuary they have received from a desperately beleaguered country, donations can be made, please, at:
Following yesterday’s explosion at Beirut Port, the UK has announced a package of emergency support to Lebanon.
Following Tuesday’s explosion at Beirut Port, which has left thousands injured and caused widespread destruction, the UK yesterday announced a package of emergency support to Lebanon.
The UK has offered to immediately deploy search and rescue experts with specially trained dogs to help find those caught up in the blast.
Following a call between the Hassan Diab, Prime Minister of Lebanon and the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, the UK has made up to £5 million in emergency humanitarian funding available to help people made homeless by the disaster.
The UK has also offered enhanced support to the Lebanese Armed Forces, who are central to the Government of Lebanon’s response, including tailored medical help, strategic air transport assistance, and engineering and communications support.
The UK has also offered to send an EMT advance clinical advisory team who could provide initial assessment and coordination with search and rescue teams. UK International Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) offer a rapid provision of internationally accredited public health, medical and surgical teams including both NHS and non NHS experts.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “This was a devastating explosion which has caused enormous suffering and damage. The UK is a long-standing friend of Lebanon and the Lebanese people, and will stand with them in their hour of need.
“We have offered immediate direct support including search and rescue, emergency medical assistance and up to £5m in humanitarian aid.
International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “We have all been shocked by the scenes of devastation and suffering in Beirut. My heart goes out to all those who have been affected by this tragedy and who have lost loved ones.
The UK stands ready to support the people of Lebanon in their time of need and has offered to send medics and rescue workers to treat those who have been injured.
The damage caused by the blast, which measured 4.5 on the Richter scale and was felt as far away as Cyprus (150 miles from Beirut), is widespread and likely to have long-lasting consequences. Lebanon was already experiencing a major economic crisis and dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, as well as hosting over 1.5 million refugees from the war in neighbouring Syria.
The UK already works closely with Lebanon and this partnership is focused on managing the humanitarian, stability and security implications of the war in Syria.
Since the start of the Syria Crisis, DFID has allocated just under £700 million in humanitarian and development funding to Lebanon, including providing support for sanitation facilities, education for refugees and helped provide jobs for both Lebanese and Syrian communities.
British Red Cross launches Beirut Emergency Appeal
British Red Cross has launched an emergency appeal to save lives and support the recovery following yesterday’s devastating explosion in Beirut
It’s reported that at least 100 people have been killed and over 4,000 people are injured. These numbers are likely to continue to rise.
Lebanese Red Cross have been responding to the crisis since last night
Search and rescue teams from the Lebanese Red Cross are looking through the rubble and devastation to find anyone trapped
The Lebanese Red Cross has sent all of its emergency medical support to the scene, with more than 75 ambulances and over 375 emergency medical responders from across Lebanon rushing to the area to help evacuate and treat the injured
Today, the British Red Cross has launched the Beirut Emergency Appeal for anyone in the UK who would like to support the relief effort in Beirut, following the devastating explosion yesterday.
The funds raised will help the relief work on the ground being provided by the Lebanese Red Cross, who are responding to this emergency.
Search and rescue teams from the Lebanese Red Cross are looking through the rubble and devastation to find anyone trapped. All of Lebanese Red Cross’ emergency medical support has already been sent to the scene, with more than 75 ambulances and over 375 emergency medical responders from across Lebanon rushing to the area to help evacuate and treat the injured. This is crucial to get people to hospitals outside of Beirut for life-saving treatment.
First aid stations have been set up in and around Beirut to help people who have been injured and Lebanese Red Cross teams are helping patients who have been so badly injured.
People in Beirut are dealing with injuries, loss of loved ones and damaged homes. This comes at a time when Lebanon is experiencing an economic crisis, and the tragic and complex challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Some people have had to be treated in the streets and the number of fatalities is likely to rise. If you can, please donate to our Beirut Emergency Appeal to save lives right now and help people recover.”
