DUBAI — Lebanese expats in the wealthy UAE, many of
them ridden with guilt, are scrambling to ship essential goods and medicine to
family and friends in their crisis-stricken home country.
اضافة اعلان
"How can I sit in the comfort of my home in
air-conditioning and a full fridge knowing that my people, my friends and
family, are struggling back home?" asked Jennifer Houchaime.
"Oh, the guilt is very, very real," said the
33-year-old resident of
Dubai, a member of the United Arab Emirates which is
home to tens of thousands of Lebanese.
"It's guilt, shame and nostalgia."
Lebanon's economy has collapsed under a long-running
political class accused of incompetence and corruption.
Its currency has plunged to an all-time low, sparking
inflation and eroding the purchasing power of a population denied free access
to their own savings by stringent banking controls.
Lebanon is running out of everything, from fuel and gas to
medicine and bread, and more than three-quarters of its population is now
considered to be living under the poverty line.
Social media platforms are filled with posts by Lebanese
appealing for contacts abroad to send basic goods such as baby formula,
diapers, painkillers, coffee and sanitary pads.
'Fill the gap'
Aya Majzoub, a researcher with Human Rights Watch, said
trust in the Lebanese government is at an all-time low.
"It is unsurprising that local and grassroots
initiatives have sprung up to fill this gap while bypassing the government that
they view as corrupt, inefficient and incompetent," she told AFP.
With no faith in the Lebanese authorities, expats have taken
it upon themselves to transport aid.
Houchaime and a number of her Lebanese friends fill their
bags with over-the-counter medication and food items every time they travel
home.
The Dubai-based airline Emirates is allowing an extra 10kg
of baggage for passengers to Beirut from certain destinations until the end of
this month.
For Dima Hage Hassan, 33, a trip to
Lebanon opened her eyes
to the unfolding disaster.
"I was in Lebanon, and I had money, and I had a car
with fuel, and I went around from pharmacy to pharmacy unable to find medicine
for my mother's ear infection," she said.
'Doing our part'
A fellow Lebanese, Sarah Hassan, packed for her second trip
home in less than two months, taking only a few personal items while the rest
was supplies for family and friends.
This time, the 26-year-old was taking a couple of
battery-operated fans, painkillers, sanitary pads, skin creams, and cold and
flu medication.
"A couple of my friends are going as well to Lebanon,
so all of us are doing our part."
It's the same story in other parts of the Gulf, where
Lebanese have long resided, fleeing from decades of conflict and instability in
their own country.
"It's hard not to feel guilty. When I went to Lebanon a
month ago, I hadn't been for two years. When I stepped out into the city, I was
so shocked," said Hassan.
"Then you come back here to the comfort of your home
and everything is at your fingertips, ... it's such an overwhelming feeling of
guilt."
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