When most of us hear an ambulance, it triggers a moment of alertness and maybe even a hint of anxiety. We instinctively try to figure out which direction it's coming from, especially if we’re driving, so we can move aside and avoid slowing down the help from getting where it is needed. For some, it’s seen as a brief inconvenience. However, an ambulance siren is a melody of relief to the ears of someone who is injured and in need of assistance.
This is the case for many people on the streets of Beirut during the recent airstrikes in Lebanon. After several civilians were caught in the crosshairs of the explosion, Al Jazeera cameras captured a Life for Relief and Development ambulance rushing to the aid of those injured.
Sarah, a mother of three, recalls the moment an airstrike shattered her neighborhood. “We were trapped,” she says. “My son was bleeding, and we had nowhere to go. But then, out of nowhere, I heard the siren. It was a Life for Relief and Development ambulance. It saved my child’s life. I am forever grateful.”
Sirens wailing have unfortunately become more and more familiar in Lebanon as airstrikes and conflict have increased in the region. These strikes have caused over 1,600 people casualties, with children accounting for a significant portion of these casualties. Many more are injured and/or displaced.
Displacement is one of the biggest challenges that Lebanon is facing with more than 1.6 million people affected, including Lebanese civilians and Syrian refugees. Families and individuals from the south, Beirut, and Bekka have fled to Tripoli and Akkar. Nearly all the schools in Tripoli and Akkar are filled with displaced families, while some are placed in empty houses.
The strain on the medical resources has also pushed Lebanon’s medical system to its limits. A restricted number of ambulances and medical personnel have left many life-threatening injuries unattended.
Life for Relief and Development (LIFE) has foreseen the upcoming crisis and donated ambulances along with additional resources to aid Lebanon's innocent. Thousands of food boxes and hygiene kits have been distributed to displaced families in need, ensuring they have the essentials to survive during this crisis.
Our donated ambulance in Beirut has already saved countless lives, arriving at the scenes of devastation minutes after an airstrike to offer immediate medical assistance.
“The devastation is overwhelming, but we keep pushing forward because every life matters,” says Mahmoud, a LIFE volunteer on the ground in Beirut. “Everything we are doing matters so much. It is making a big difference in the lives of these struggling families."
Despite the courageous work of our LIFE team in Lebanon and the generosity of our donors, there is still much work to do. Every day the need in Lebanon continues to grow. Your donation of just $50 can feed a displaced family for an entire week, and a donation of $200 can support a family for a month with food, water, and hygiene kits.
