WEBVTT

00:00:00.017 --> 00:00:05.177
Die Übersetzung von Jans Stimme vom Deutschen ins Englische wurde mit einer KI erstellt.

00:00:06.677 --> 00:00:10.977
In der Schatten der Krieg gegen Iran, eine andere Krieg ist in Lebanon auch.

00:00:11.417 --> 00:00:16.017
Wieder wieder, muss man sagen. Und obwohl Donald Trump, der Präsident der USA,

00:00:16.657 --> 00:00:21.777
hat ein Krieg für Lebanon ein paar Tage vorgegeben, die kämpfe in den Süden des Landen weitergeht.

00:00:22.317 --> 00:00:27.617
Die gesamte villages sind zu verabschieden. Hunderts und tausende Menschen sind fliehen.

00:00:27.817 --> 00:00:32.077
Und natürlich muss man die Frage, When children are sleeping in classrooms,

00:00:32.497 --> 00:00:37.037
when parents are fleeing for the 10th time, can one really still speak of a ceasefire?

00:00:37.277 --> 00:00:39.517
And what is happening to the people in the country?

00:00:43.797 --> 00:00:48.617
In Crisis Mode, the podcast from Conflict Zones with Jan Jessen.

00:00:52.117 --> 00:00:56.837
Welcome to In Crisis Mode. I'm Jan Jessen, war and crisis reporter for the Funke

00:00:56.837 --> 00:01:00.257
Media Group. A few days ago, I was once again in Lebanon.

00:01:00.597 --> 00:01:05.577
I had already been there last December. Then again four weeks ago. And now once more.

00:01:06.331 --> 00:01:10.771
This time I was travelling with Friedensdorf International, a humanitarian aid

00:01:10.771 --> 00:01:14.411
organisation based in Oberhausen. You probably know them already.

00:01:14.851 --> 00:01:16.991
We've featured them several times on the programme.

00:01:17.451 --> 00:01:21.611
And of course we'll include links in the show notes to everything we've experienced with them so far.

00:01:22.011 --> 00:01:25.231
As I said, the ceasefire that Trump announced a few days ago,

00:01:25.371 --> 00:01:29.151
which is also supposed to apply to Lebanon, does not really exist,

00:01:29.511 --> 00:01:31.271
at least not in the south of the country.

00:01:31.631 --> 00:01:36.171
There are dozens of bombardments every day by the Israeli armed forces on one side.

00:01:36.331 --> 00:01:41.171
On the other side, there are daily attacks by Hezbollah, the Shiite militant

00:01:41.171 --> 00:01:45.171
group that is strong in southern Lebanon, against the Israeli forces that have

00:01:45.171 --> 00:01:46.411
moved in with ground troops.

00:01:47.031 --> 00:01:52.011
Israel in turn wants to establish a buffer zone in order to stop attacks on northern Israel.

00:01:52.231 --> 00:01:55.751
So this country is still very, very far from any kind of ceasefire.

00:01:55.991 --> 00:01:58.711
And we were there in Lebanon to see how people are coping.

00:01:59.211 --> 00:02:03.751
Around 800,000 people have been displaced from the south of the country to Beirut,

00:02:03.751 --> 00:02:06.591
der Lebanese capital, und zu dem nord der Lande.

00:02:06.951 --> 00:02:09.691
Schulen haben sich in die emergency gesellschaftlich gegründet.

00:02:09.951 --> 00:02:15.331
Prices sind in der ganzen Welt, partly wegen der Klosch der Strait des Hormuz.

00:02:15.471 --> 00:02:18.591
Das ist ein Land auf dem Brink. Das ist das wir da.

00:02:19.171 --> 00:02:23.631
Wir waren da auch da, weil der Städte Regierung von North Rhine-Westphalia hat

00:02:23.631 --> 00:02:26.451
gerade 100,000 Euro in finanziert.

00:02:27.011 --> 00:02:30.771
Die Geld wurde von Friedensdorf gegründet, so dass, mit local Partnern,

00:02:31.071 --> 00:02:32.171
sie konnte das Lande organisieren.

00:02:34.331 --> 00:02:38.331
Travelling with us was Josef Neumann, a member of the State Parliament for the

00:02:38.331 --> 00:02:42.631
SPD and chairman of the Health Committee in the North Rhine-Westphalia Parliament.

00:02:43.071 --> 00:02:47.831
He joined us to assess the situation firsthand and to see where and how the

00:02:47.831 --> 00:02:51.211
aid from North Rhine-Westphalia is reaching people in Lebanon.

00:02:52.126 --> 00:02:57.326
Among other places, we visited one of these schools in Beirut that has now become an emergency shelter.

00:02:57.686 --> 00:03:01.586
Overall, it's an extremely difficult situation because all public schools have

00:03:01.586 --> 00:03:03.686
been used as shelters since March 2nd.

00:03:04.026 --> 00:03:06.926
That means regular schooling is no longer possible in Lebanon.

00:03:07.466 --> 00:03:11.186
The date is important because the bombings by the United States and Israel against

00:03:11.186 --> 00:03:13.106
Iran began on March 28th.

00:03:13.526 --> 00:03:17.026
The following day, Hezbollah decided to enter the war as well.

00:03:17.466 --> 00:03:21.826
Hezbollah is a Shiite organization financed, trained and equipped by Iran.

00:03:22.126 --> 00:03:26.326
Und eine große Rolle in ihrer Identität hat immer den Kampf gegen Israel und

00:03:26.326 --> 00:03:28.126
die Struktur der Israel-State.

00:03:28.586 --> 00:03:31.546
Over den Jahren, es hat viele Worte mit Israel-State kämpft.

00:03:31.646 --> 00:03:36.106
Und jetzt, wie ich sagte, es hat wieder einmal den Konflikt auf Iran-Side.

00:03:36.246 --> 00:03:40.346
Die ganze Land hat sich als resultiert, und wir konnten das clearly fühlen,

00:03:40.346 --> 00:03:41.206
während unserer Besuchung.

00:03:41.737 --> 00:03:45.997
Wir besuchen eine dieser Schulen in Al-Mazrah, eine Stadt in den Norden Beirut,

00:03:46.157 --> 00:03:48.437
in der Hauptstadtstelle von Sunni-Muslims.

00:03:48.557 --> 00:03:53.517
Just als Hintergrundinformation, Lebanon ist ein multikonfessional, multireligious Land.

00:03:53.997 --> 00:03:57.517
Roughlich ein-durchschnitt der Bevölkerung ist Christian, ein-durchschnitt von

00:03:57.517 --> 00:04:00.077
Sunni-Muslim und ein-durchschnitt von Shiite-Muslim.

00:04:00.457 --> 00:04:02.297
Das ist nicht genau so leicht.

00:04:03.397 --> 00:04:06.897
Als ich schon sagte, Al-Mazrah ist ein predominantly Sunni-Distritt,

00:04:07.037 --> 00:04:10.357
aber viele Shiite-Refügeer aus dem Süden haben auch hier.

00:04:11.077 --> 00:04:12.437
Wir besuchen die Schule.

00:04:40.337 --> 00:04:42.757
Besuchen die Schule. It was an extremely striking and disturbing sight.

00:04:43.097 --> 00:04:46.377
There was a huge crater where an apartment building had once stood,

00:04:46.597 --> 00:04:49.697
with neighbouring houses damaged and facades torn away.

00:04:49.937 --> 00:04:54.197
And this happened just 200 metres from the school where the refugees are being housed.

00:04:54.597 --> 00:04:59.697
Israel says it targeted Hezbollah positions there, a Hezbollah command centre or something similar.

00:04:59.897 --> 00:05:04.577
But even so, you can clearly feel in Beirut just how close the war has come

00:05:04.577 --> 00:05:05.737
to these refugee shelters.

00:05:06.277 --> 00:05:10.417
Inside the shelter were several dozen displaced people, The people running the

00:05:10.417 --> 00:05:15.397
facility oversee five different shelters, housing a total of 370 refugees.

00:05:16.077 --> 00:05:21.117
Conditions are, of course, far from ideal. Ten people are living together in a single classroom.

00:05:21.517 --> 00:05:24.877
The man in charge of the shelter explained the challenges they are facing.

00:05:25.177 --> 00:05:28.537
He said that one of their biggest problems is access to proper food,

00:05:28.677 --> 00:05:31.537
and that hygiene issues are constantly arising as well.

00:05:31.777 --> 00:05:34.357
Just over two hours ago, we returned from a food.

00:05:35.877 --> 00:05:40.757
Vor gut zwei Stunden sind wir zurückgekommen von einer Lebensmittelverteilung.

00:05:41.437 --> 00:05:45.637
Das Land NRW und wir erneut... Yes, we're in Beirut right now,

00:05:45.777 --> 00:05:49.017
back at the hotel. We're sitting outside and reflecting on the day.

00:05:49.577 --> 00:05:52.377
Just over two hours ago, we returned from a food distribution.

00:05:52.737 --> 00:05:57.537
The state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and we ourselves, with NRW contributing

00:05:57.537 --> 00:06:00.857
for the first time, made a donation to our partner organisation,

00:06:01.037 --> 00:06:03.217
Tima, so they could purchase food for refugees.

00:06:03.217 --> 00:06:06.517
Und als ich gesagt habe, wir haben einfach nur ein Wir haben einfach nur ein

00:06:06.517 --> 00:06:10.657
In der Stadt, wo Shiite und Sunni Refugees sind Housed zusammen in eine Public-School,

00:06:12.057 --> 00:06:15.377
Currently, 370 People are living in That school Und natürlich,

00:06:15.577 --> 00:06:16.797
They need absolutely Everything,

00:06:17.337 --> 00:06:20.897
Wir felt that the Most important thing At first was Simply making sure People

00:06:20.897 --> 00:06:25.277
had enough To eat Children in particular Need proper nutrition Und wir waren

00:06:25.277 --> 00:06:28.897
Very happy to see How Tima also Took cultural aspects Into account When it came

00:06:28.897 --> 00:06:33.397
To the food For example They included foods In the packages die Menschen aus

00:06:33.397 --> 00:06:35.277
dem Süden kennenlernen und genügend zu essen.

00:06:43.889 --> 00:06:48.129
The person you just heard was Claudia Peppmüller, spokesperson for Friedensdorf

00:06:48.129 --> 00:06:53.029
International, which has been providing humanitarian aid in Lebanon for quite some time now.

00:06:53.229 --> 00:06:56.309
The state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which Claudia just mentioned,

00:06:56.769 --> 00:06:57.849
provided funding there.

00:06:58.029 --> 00:07:01.929
That money is being used to organize humanitarian assistance in Lebanon.

00:07:02.449 --> 00:07:07.389
In this specific case, food distribution. Some time ago, the state had already

00:07:07.389 --> 00:07:12.769
funded two so-called food trucks, refrigerated trucks used to distribute food supplies.

00:07:12.769 --> 00:07:18.469
Und jetzt haben sie ihre Unterstützung wieder erhöht, um noch 100,000 Euro zu helfen.

00:07:19.589 --> 00:07:23.869
Natürlich, und das muss man auch sagen, ist das nur ein Drop in den Osten.

00:07:24.089 --> 00:07:28.529
In der Ende, mit 800,000 displaced Menschen, internal refugees,

00:07:29.089 --> 00:07:33.589
meaning Lebanese citizens, die von den Süden zu Beirut sind, ist relativ wenig.

00:07:34.029 --> 00:07:39.089
Und wenn man also consider dass rund 1,000,000 Syrien refugees sind in der Land

00:07:39.089 --> 00:07:44.469
selbst, die Situation wird sogar noch schwieriger. Es ist einfach ein Schotage von allem.

00:07:44.869 --> 00:07:46.989
Food, shelter, medicine.

00:07:47.589 --> 00:07:51.769
Und oft sogar die Basis, wie towels oder andere Hygiene-Produkte, sind missing.

00:07:52.329 --> 00:07:57.569
Wenn wir da sind, Claudia Peppmüller selbst wurde eine kleine Sensation.

00:07:58.149 --> 00:08:03.089
Claudia hat blondes Haar und nicht eine Headscarf. Und natürlich war sie sofort

00:08:03.089 --> 00:08:05.209
bei allen Kindern in der Schilder.

00:08:06.924 --> 00:08:10.124
Es war auch mit den Kindern zu sprechen.

00:08:10.764 --> 00:08:16.044
Sie kamen direkt, also waren neugierig. Es war also deeply moving to speak with the children.

00:08:16.444 --> 00:08:19.384
They came up to us immediately, curious about where we came from,

00:08:19.744 --> 00:08:21.464
asking questions about why we were there.

00:08:21.824 --> 00:08:25.584
Because it is still very, very rare for foreigners to come here and actually

00:08:25.584 --> 00:08:27.444
join the aid distribution inside the shelters.

00:08:28.004 --> 00:08:31.424
What was especially striking was seeing how children process these experiences.

00:08:31.804 --> 00:08:35.384
Some of them have lived through bombardments. We heard that in the north as

00:08:35.384 --> 00:08:37.264
well. Some have seen dead bodies.

00:08:38.644 --> 00:08:42.304
What struck me about the children was that some of them seemed extremely hyperactive,

00:08:42.504 --> 00:08:43.944
almost overstimulated.

00:08:44.484 --> 00:08:47.864
A few had already entered a kind of survival mode where they had somehow adapted

00:08:47.864 --> 00:08:49.424
to this truly terrible situation.

00:08:50.084 --> 00:08:53.904
They are living in incredibly cramped conditions, sometimes with ten family

00:08:53.904 --> 00:08:55.544
members sharing a small classroom.

00:08:56.044 --> 00:08:59.424
And with others, you had the feeling that you simply couldn't reach them at

00:08:59.424 --> 00:09:01.504
all, even when you spoke directly to them.

00:09:05.584 --> 00:09:07.704
Sie gar nicht, auch wenn man sie anspricht.

00:09:09.222 --> 00:09:13.222
Yes, as I said, this wasn't my first time in Lebanon. I had already been there

00:09:13.222 --> 00:09:15.182
in December and looked at the south of the country.

00:09:15.622 --> 00:09:18.282
At that time, there were no active military clashes.

00:09:18.862 --> 00:09:22.962
Hezbollah also stayed out of the previous war with Iran, the so-called 12-day

00:09:22.962 --> 00:09:27.462
war in June of last year, which involved heavy bombardments on both sides,

00:09:27.802 --> 00:09:31.862
Israel and the United States against Iran, and Iran against Israel.

00:09:32.442 --> 00:09:36.942
Back then, Hezbollah had stayed out of that conflict, although it had previously

00:09:36.942 --> 00:09:41.582
fought alongside Hamas after the Hamas terrorist attack in October 2023.

00:09:42.202 --> 00:09:46.022
As a result, there had already been significant destruction in the South.

00:09:46.222 --> 00:09:50.842
And when I was there last, in March, it was during what you could call the most

00:09:50.842 --> 00:09:54.962
intense phase of the conflict when there was still mutual fire between Iran

00:09:54.962 --> 00:09:58.562
and Israel and at the same time Israeli bombardments in Beirut.

00:09:59.042 --> 00:10:04.922
That was not the case this time. During our visit, nothing fell on Beirut in the days we were there.

00:10:05.422 --> 00:10:09.562
Not even in Dahieh, the Shiite stronghold, a suburb of Beirut.

00:10:10.102 --> 00:10:14.422
Nothing happened there either. However, we were told that heavy fighting was

00:10:14.422 --> 00:10:16.902
taking place in the south of the country while we were there.

00:10:17.842 --> 00:10:21.142
Fortunately, we didn't witness any of it this time. And of course,

00:10:21.202 --> 00:10:22.462
that was also a relief for the

00:10:22.462 --> 00:10:26.122
people in Beirut, who were at least spared bombardments during those days.

00:10:26.562 --> 00:10:28.942
And Claudia Pepmüller describes it like this.

00:10:30.206 --> 00:10:40.526
Also in Beirut, you can see, at

00:10:40.526 --> 00:10:43.866
certain points, that weeks ago individual buildings were heavily bombed.

00:10:44.106 --> 00:10:47.166
This neighbourhood here, we are not allowed to enter it.

00:10:47.486 --> 00:10:51.526
Of course, that would have been very interesting for us, if only to see whether

00:10:51.526 --> 00:10:54.586
aid could be provided there, but we are not allowed in because the district

00:10:54.586 --> 00:10:57.806
still runs the risk of being bombed again. It's the same in the south.

00:10:58.286 --> 00:11:01.226
Access there is also blocked for us due to the intense fighting.

00:11:01.806 --> 00:11:04.806
People earlier reported that it had never been as bad as it was yesterday.

00:11:05.146 --> 00:11:07.226
So there must have been very heavy bombardments.

00:11:07.846 --> 00:11:11.406
Here in Beirut, I have to say, I don't feel threatened by the situation for

00:11:11.406 --> 00:11:13.766
a single moment. I do feel it is safe here.

00:11:14.146 --> 00:11:18.066
We have experienced other situations where you thought, no, this is different.

00:11:18.426 --> 00:11:25.066
That would be my assessment of the situation. Also ich empfinde das schon als sicher.

00:11:27.206 --> 00:11:30.386
Sie beschreibt die Situation auf dem Boden als relativ calm.

00:11:30.686 --> 00:11:33.346
Und ich muss sagen, das war eigentlich auch unsere Erfahrung.

00:11:33.886 --> 00:11:38.286
In March, als wir da waren, wir noch sahen Israeli aircraft fliegen über Beirut,

00:11:38.406 --> 00:11:41.306
an extrem speed, breaking die Sound-barrier.

00:11:41.546 --> 00:11:44.626
Es gab einen enormen Sonnig boom, der wirklich frightened Menschen.

00:11:44.886 --> 00:11:47.386
Es ist ziemlich stöchentlich, ich muss sagen, wenn Sie da sind.

00:11:47.626 --> 00:11:49.366
Aber nichts von dem das this time passiert.

00:11:50.226 --> 00:11:54.726
Die nur was wir da hörten, als wir da waren, war ein Drone, ein Surveillance-Drone, über die Stadt.

00:11:55.449 --> 00:11:58.449
You could hear it clearly. It has a sound like a motorcycle.

00:11:58.909 --> 00:12:03.489
You hear it very distinctly. It is also a kind of show of force by the Israeli

00:12:03.489 --> 00:12:08.829
armed forces, to make it clear, listen up, we are here, and please don't cause

00:12:08.829 --> 00:12:10.289
any trouble in Beirut at least.

00:12:10.649 --> 00:12:13.569
As mentioned, there is heavy fighting in the south of the country.

00:12:14.049 --> 00:12:18.029
Hezbollah is attacking Israeli troops there, and Israel is carrying out very

00:12:18.029 --> 00:12:20.029
heavy bombardments in the south these days.

00:12:20.369 --> 00:12:23.729
With Friedensdorf International, I have not only been to Lebanon,

00:12:23.729 --> 00:12:28.309
but also, for example, to Afghanistan, another very compelling country,

00:12:28.509 --> 00:12:32.549
and of course also a deeply tragic one when it comes to the situation on the ground.

00:12:32.869 --> 00:12:37.269
As I said earlier, we will also put the details of those experiences into the show notes.

00:12:37.669 --> 00:12:42.689
Also traveling with us in Lebanon was Joseph Neumann, an SPD politician,

00:12:43.269 --> 00:12:46.069
a member of the state parliament and chairman of the Health Committee,

00:12:46.309 --> 00:12:50.549
who has a lot of experience with Lebanon, has visited the country frequently,

00:12:50.549 --> 00:12:53.909
und ist jemanden, der sich zu helfen, dass Lebanon nicht vergessen ist.

00:12:54.109 --> 00:12:56.889
Er war auch sehr beeindruckt, was er da war.

00:12:57.149 --> 00:13:00.769
Denn, wie ich gesagt habe, Lebanon ist eigentlich ein Land auf dem Brink.

00:13:00.969 --> 00:13:03.929
Das ist auch connected zu dem Fakt, dass die Lebanese Regierung.

00:13:04.529 --> 00:13:08.709
At least die Christian und Sunni-Muslimen parts von es, no longer wollen Hezbollah.

00:13:09.169 --> 00:13:13.469
Sie sagen, dass Hezbollah repeatedly provokes Israeli attacks und jederzeit

00:13:13.469 --> 00:13:16.549
der Rest der Land ist in ein Konflikt, das ist nicht its own.

00:13:16.549 --> 00:13:21.689
For that reason, the Lebanese government decided back in August last year that

00:13:21.689 --> 00:13:24.889
Hezbollah should be disarmed and turned into a purely political party.

00:13:25.829 --> 00:13:29.609
Hezbollah refuses to do so. And this was something that came through very clearly,

00:13:29.889 --> 00:13:33.289
almost between the lines, in all the conversations we had.

00:13:33.589 --> 00:13:37.349
A growing fear that Lebanon could once again slide into civil war,

00:13:37.609 --> 00:13:41.529
like the one the country experienced between 1975 and 1990.

00:13:42.738 --> 00:13:46.958
Einige von euch daran erinnern. Es war eine extrem brutale Zivilwahr,

00:13:47.138 --> 00:13:51.318
mit massiver Destruction über das ganze Land, mit verschiedenen Partien und

00:13:51.318 --> 00:13:53.538
religiösen Gemeinden, die sich gegen andere kämpfen.

00:13:53.638 --> 00:13:57.898
Und die Begründung ist, dass etwas so etwas zurückkehren könnte.

00:13:59.238 --> 00:14:06.698
Ja, Libanon besteht seit Jahren die Herausforderung, sich in einer Krisensituation zu befinden.

00:14:07.078 --> 00:14:10.378
Und aktuell kommt noch eine Kriegssituation dazu.

00:14:10.918 --> 00:14:15.598
Wir haben 100 Es gibt noch Tausende flüchtlinge aus Süd-Libanon.

00:14:16.278 --> 00:14:18.298
Die auf der Flucht sind, aufgrund der...

00:14:18.978 --> 00:14:22.778
...Lebanon, für Jahre, die Herausforderungen sind in einer constanten Stade of Crisis.

00:14:23.118 --> 00:14:26.118
Und jetzt haben wir eine Situation in der Lage, eine Situation in der Süd-Libanon.

00:14:26.118 --> 00:14:29.338
Wir haben Hunderts und Hunderts von Thausenden von Süd-Libanon,

00:14:29.338 --> 00:14:33.698
die vor allem die Militär bombardungen in der Süd-Libanon flüchtlinge,

00:14:33.698 --> 00:14:37.758
Sie sind oft in Beirut, oder anderen Bereichen, in der Süd-Libanon.

00:14:37.758 --> 00:14:39.918
Diese Menschen sind in der Lage, in der Süd-Libanon zu helfen.

00:14:39.918 --> 00:14:44.658
As we have seen, public schools are filled with many refugees who need to be cared for.

00:14:44.858 --> 00:14:49.258
But this also means that schools cannot operate normally, and hundreds of thousands

00:14:49.258 --> 00:14:51.818
of students are unable to attend public education.

00:14:52.218 --> 00:14:56.158
This shows just how difficult the situation has become for people in the country.

00:14:56.578 --> 00:15:01.538
In addition, there is an extremely high inflation rate, along with very high living costs.

00:15:02.018 --> 00:15:06.018
What people need is, at a minimum, a daily meal, a roof over their heads,

00:15:06.118 --> 00:15:10.798
and, where possible, employment. Although the latter is currently barely functioning

00:15:10.798 --> 00:15:12.038
for many people in Lebanon.

00:15:12.658 --> 00:15:16.478
And when you look at the children, at their faces, you realize that these children

00:15:16.478 --> 00:15:21.058
will only have a sustainable future in their lives if there is peace and if

00:15:21.058 --> 00:15:22.938
we enable them to survive in this country.

00:15:23.338 --> 00:15:26.978
And survival means supporting them with food supplies, but also with medical

00:15:26.978 --> 00:15:30.458
care. Because healthcare in Lebanon is particularly expensive.

00:15:30.858 --> 00:15:33.078
And that is a very, very major challenge.

00:15:37.918 --> 00:15:40.478
Haben, wenn es Frieden gibt.

00:15:41.802 --> 00:15:45.962
Und wenn wir ihnen ein Überleben in diesem Land ermöglichen.

00:15:46.162 --> 00:15:51.522
Und Überleben heißt, sie zu unterstützen im Bereich der Lebensmittelversorgung,

00:15:51.682 --> 00:15:56.522
aber auch im Bereich der medizinischen Versorgung, denn medizinische Versorgung

00:15:56.522 --> 00:15:59.102
ist im Libanon besonders teuer.

00:16:00.042 --> 00:16:04.942
Yes, Josef Neumann addressed this as well. The country is facing enormous challenges.

00:16:05.442 --> 00:16:09.862
As I mentioned earlier, there are not only these 800.000 internally displaced

00:16:09.862 --> 00:16:13.342
people von den anderen Ländern, die jetzt in die Stadt sind,

00:16:13.742 --> 00:16:17.022
in den Städten haben, oder sind auf den Straßen.

00:16:17.642 --> 00:16:21.402
Auf dem auch, da sind rund 1 Millionen von Syrien aus Syrien.

00:16:21.962 --> 00:16:25.502
Wir haben auch einige in Rahbeh, eine Stadt in northern Lebanon.

00:16:26.222 --> 00:16:29.302
These waren Alawite Menschen, die in March von dem Jahr flog.

00:16:30.062 --> 00:16:34.722
At der Zeit, da war ein Massaker auf der Syrien-Koast. Islamist groups,

00:16:34.962 --> 00:16:39.002
attributed zu den Transitionen-Governement, carried out attacks against Alawite

00:16:39.002 --> 00:16:41.142
communities there, killing many people.

00:16:41.722 --> 00:16:45.782
Tens of thousands then fled. They were added to the already large number of

00:16:45.782 --> 00:16:49.502
Syrian refugees who were already in the country, in Lebanon.

00:16:49.962 --> 00:16:53.102
These people are also living in extremely precarious conditions.

00:16:53.442 --> 00:16:57.702
They are essentially in the country illegally, as Lebanon does not have an asylum

00:16:57.702 --> 00:16:58.982
system like the one we have.

00:16:59.222 --> 00:17:03.042
They have to somehow get by, are supported through aid organizations,

00:17:03.342 --> 00:17:06.602
but as mentioned, they are an additional burden on the country.

00:17:06.842 --> 00:17:11.582
Es ist auch wichtig zu verstehen, dass Lebanon eine Population von über 5 Millionen Menschen hat.

00:17:11.862 --> 00:17:17.262
So diese 5 Millionen Menschen sind nun effektivt für 800,000 internen Displaced

00:17:17.262 --> 00:17:22.602
Personen, 1 Millionen Syrien Refugee und auch über 200,000 Palästinien,

00:17:22.802 --> 00:17:25.282
die in der Lande leben als Refugee in der Stadt für Jahre.

00:17:26.615 --> 00:17:35.175
Das ist eine sehr große Herausforderung. Ich finde es sehr richtig,

00:17:35.195 --> 00:17:40.615
dass Friedensdorf International ist hier, und dass die Stadt der Nrw-Westphalia

00:17:40.615 --> 00:17:45.915
in Nordrhein-Westphalia auch schon ein paar Zeit ist, in den meansen es hat.

00:17:46.615 --> 00:17:51.575
Was ist auch visible, however, ist die sehr starken commitment der verschiedenen

00:17:51.575 --> 00:17:56.955
Christen Kirchen in der Lande. Und das ist sicherlich die Menschen in einer interfaithen Weise.

00:17:57.815 --> 00:18:02.035
Menschen sind nicht gefragt, was religion sie belong zu ist, in order zu bekommen.

00:18:02.935 --> 00:18:07.035
Und ich glaube, dass das ein wichtiges Seed in einem Land wie Lebanon ist,

00:18:07.535 --> 00:18:17.395
wo wir so eine große Rolle in einem Land wie den Libanon haben,

00:18:18.275 --> 00:18:24.755
und damit auch an unterschiedlichen sozialen, politischen und sozialen Strukturen. in diesem Lande haben.

00:18:26.021 --> 00:18:30.581
What Josef just mentioned I also found quite remarkable. The local partner organisation

00:18:30.581 --> 00:18:35.841
of Friedensdorf is an organisation called Tima, which Claudia already briefly referred to earlier.

00:18:36.361 --> 00:18:41.741
Tima consists of Baptists, Evangelical Christians. One could view that critically or not.

00:18:42.141 --> 00:18:45.181
In any case, these people are very deeply rooted in their faith,

00:18:45.361 --> 00:18:48.641
and they are supporting Shiite refugees in the school we visited.

00:18:49.121 --> 00:18:53.781
They are also supporting Alawite refugees in Raabé, completely independent of

00:18:53.781 --> 00:18:57.721
what religion, ethnicity or country of origin they belong to.

00:18:57.981 --> 00:19:02.421
And this is what Joseph already pointed out, perhaps also an opportunity for

00:19:02.421 --> 00:19:07.221
Lebanon, that there are people who look beyond these sectarian divides and build

00:19:07.221 --> 00:19:10.301
bridges simply by helping others in a selfless way.

00:19:10.701 --> 00:19:13.761
It was also remarkable for me to see how that can work.

00:19:14.181 --> 00:19:19.041
The head or organizer of this facility, the school, this refugee shelter,

00:19:19.321 --> 00:19:25.561
also made it very clear that religious and political flags or symbols are not allowed in this school,

00:19:26.041 --> 00:19:30.041
simply because the aim is not to deepen the divides, but to close them,

00:19:30.261 --> 00:19:33.721
to fill them in, the divides that exist in this country.

00:19:34.321 --> 00:19:39.961
This is what Lebanon is defined by, its multi-confessional, multi-religious character.

00:19:40.641 --> 00:19:44.221
In a way, that is something wonderful, something beautiful.

00:19:44.801 --> 00:19:49.941
When you travel through Lebanon, you see mosques, viele christian-churches und

00:19:49.941 --> 00:19:54.781
eine sehr lange Geschichte von verschiedenen Ethnicitäten, Religionen und Confessions leben.

00:19:55.701 --> 00:20:00.121
However, in recenten Decades, dies auch ein Curse für Lebanon ist.

00:20:01.301 --> 00:20:04.961
Die Civil War ist noch sehr presentiert in den Memorien von vielen Menschen,

00:20:05.001 --> 00:20:07.321
und viele jetzt Angst, dass es wieder auszultert wird,

00:20:07.981 --> 00:20:11.501
weil Hezbollah ist nicht das die Regierung hat eigentlich entschieden,

00:20:11.521 --> 00:20:16.121
um zu disarmen und zu werden, eine politische Partei, in order to finally bring

00:20:16.121 --> 00:20:19.001
peace to this front and to end the wars with Israel.

00:20:19.321 --> 00:20:21.721
And in the end, no one knows what the future will bring.

00:20:22.781 --> 00:20:27.441
Das Entscheidende ist, wir müssen alles dafür tun, dass es den Waffenstillstand hier gibt.

00:20:28.361 --> 00:20:31.681
The crucial point is that we must do everything we can to ensure that there

00:20:31.681 --> 00:20:35.561
is a ceasefire here. And that requires many diplomatic approaches.

00:20:35.961 --> 00:20:40.221
It is extremely important to enter into diplomatic dialogue on this issue with

00:20:40.221 --> 00:20:44.061
all countries that are involved in this war, that naturally includes Israel.

00:20:44.341 --> 00:20:48.061
In addition, there is the conflict with Iran, which plays a central role.

00:20:48.281 --> 00:20:52.561
And then one has to look at the situation on the ground, wo es Hezbollah ist

00:20:52.561 --> 00:20:56.201
und die notwendige Disarmung von Hezbollah ist. Wer kann das eigentlich tun?

00:20:56.641 --> 00:20:59.821
Wer kann das eigentlich tun? Es gibt viele politische Probleme,

00:20:59.881 --> 00:21:03.681
die sich nicht mehr bewegen müssen. Und einfach standen und watchen wird nicht

00:21:03.681 --> 00:21:07.681
genug, dass wir eine politische Wörter geben müssen.

00:21:08.861 --> 00:21:14.561
Und die Zuschauer wird nicht genug, um diesen Konflikt und diesen Krieg nur

00:21:14.561 --> 00:21:18.321
anzuladen zu beenden. Joseph already said it.

00:21:18.521 --> 00:21:22.361
The most important thing is to stabilize the ceasefire and to establish channels

00:21:22.361 --> 00:21:24.741
of communication. That is also difficult.

00:21:25.241 --> 00:21:28.941
Donald Trump, the US president, has in fact called on Netanyahu,

00:21:29.121 --> 00:21:33.241
the Israeli prime minister, and the Lebanese government, represented by President

00:21:33.241 --> 00:21:35.861
Joseph Ayoun, to hold talks in Washington.

00:21:36.401 --> 00:21:40.281
As of the time this podcast was recorded, that has not yet happened.

00:21:40.981 --> 00:21:44.721
Ayoun is also viewed critically because there appear to be communication channels

00:21:44.721 --> 00:21:46.541
zwischen den Israelis und der Lebanese government.

00:21:47.510 --> 00:21:51.570
On the road from Beirut towards the airport, you pass through Dahyeh,

00:21:51.770 --> 00:21:55.750
the Shiite stronghold, where you see images everywhere of Khamenei,

00:21:56.030 --> 00:21:59.430
the Iranian religious leader who was killed at the beginning of the conflict,

00:21:59.730 --> 00:22:04.350
as well as other Shiite leaders such as Qasem Soleimani and others who have

00:22:04.350 --> 00:22:06.550
been killed in various conflicts over the years.

00:22:07.110 --> 00:22:12.350
And now, on a bridge, you see an image of Aoun in traditional Israeli clothing,

00:22:12.630 --> 00:22:14.650
with an Israeli flag in the background.

00:22:14.650 --> 00:22:19.450
They are essentially branding the Lebanese president, their own president in

00:22:19.450 --> 00:22:24.470
fact, as an Israeli agent, which of course makes the situation somewhat dangerous.

00:22:24.910 --> 00:22:27.010
But in the end there is no alternative.

00:22:27.570 --> 00:22:31.470
Of course you have to talk to Israel, and ideally Hezbollah would also have

00:22:31.470 --> 00:22:36.850
to talk to Israel, but due to its ideology, it simply cannot or is not allowed to.

00:22:37.430 --> 00:22:40.410
Israel will also likely never speak directly with Hezbollah.

00:22:40.410 --> 00:22:45.310
So it must now be the task of the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah and

00:22:45.310 --> 00:22:49.230
to convince Hezbollah that it no longer makes sense to seek this constant conflict

00:22:49.230 --> 00:22:52.870
with Israel, especially since they are repeatedly losing these wars.

00:22:53.330 --> 00:22:58.010
In the end, entire villages in southern Lebanon lie in ruins and the people

00:22:58.010 --> 00:23:03.110
who have fled from the south may have difficulties returning if this conflict situation does not end.

00:23:03.290 --> 00:23:07.670
The entire country is standing on the edge of the abyss and may even be pushed

00:23:07.670 --> 00:23:12.290
into it. Das ist sehr wichtig, dass dies von der anderen Seite moderiert ist,

00:23:12.410 --> 00:23:14.910
und dass Deutschland in diesem Rolle auch.

00:23:15.410 --> 00:23:18.790
Als eine der Welt größten, mit considerable influence zu können,

00:23:19.170 --> 00:23:23.470
es sollte nicht die Feld entweder zu den Amerikanern, wenn es um die Negotiations zu kommen.

00:23:24.110 --> 00:23:28.710
Aber eher Europa, und Deutschland in particular, sollte nicht nur die Humanität

00:23:28.710 --> 00:23:32.370
nicht nur die Hilfe, sondern auch die Politik politisch zu medieren, die Situation.

00:23:32.790 --> 00:23:37.510
Das, ich glaube, ist sehr wichtig, weil wenn Deutschland in der Abyss fällt,

00:23:37.510 --> 00:23:43.070
Then for purely self-interested reasons alone, one can say, that must not happen.

00:23:43.801 --> 00:23:48.361
Many refugees have told us that they no longer see their future in Lebanon because

00:23:48.361 --> 00:23:50.421
of the constant conflicts they experience there.

00:23:50.721 --> 00:23:54.901
Instead, they see their future in Europe, in Canada, in the United States and elsewhere.

00:23:55.381 --> 00:23:59.741
And if we do not want even more refugees coming to Europe and Germany and the

00:23:59.741 --> 00:24:04.261
situation here potentially becoming more tense, including a rise in far-right

00:24:04.261 --> 00:24:06.941
politics, then we have to help on the ground.

00:24:07.361 --> 00:24:11.881
That is the key point. And not only in humanitarian terms, but also politically,

00:24:11.881 --> 00:24:14.461
We should push for Hezbollah to be disarmed.

00:24:14.741 --> 00:24:16.621
We should support the Lebanese government.

00:24:17.041 --> 00:24:21.621
We should also support those Shiite forces in Lebanon that are distancing themselves

00:24:21.621 --> 00:24:24.001
from Hezbollah. And we simply have to help.

00:24:24.401 --> 00:24:26.441
Of course, we must also influence Israel.

00:24:26.981 --> 00:24:30.341
Refugees from the south told us this as well. They begged us,

00:24:30.581 --> 00:24:35.001
repeatedly saying, please, please, please make sure that Israel stops bombing in the south.

00:24:35.501 --> 00:24:38.881
An elderly man told us that he had fled 10 times in his life.

00:24:39.321 --> 00:24:40.741
He was someone who grew oranges.

00:24:41.341 --> 00:24:45.341
Er sagte, dass jetzt es die Weihnachten und die Orangen sind in der grove.

00:24:45.561 --> 00:24:49.561
Er sagte, dass sie die Kinder gemacht haben. Was haben sie getan?

00:24:49.801 --> 00:24:52.781
Sie haben nichts gemacht. Und sie sind sie, sie sind, verletzten,

00:24:52.841 --> 00:24:56.561
verletzten. Und das muss stoppen. Und ich denke, das ist das was Deutschland,

00:24:56.861 --> 00:24:57.601
die sich eigentlich tun.

00:24:58.221 --> 00:25:01.701
Intervene mit den beiden Seiten der Konflikten und auch die Influenz auf die

00:25:01.701 --> 00:25:06.361
Lebanese Regierung so dass die Menschen eventually haben eine peacefulfüße und wiederholen Lebanon.

00:25:06.521 --> 00:25:09.741
Das war heute's episode of In Crisis Mode.

00:25:09.741 --> 00:25:14.701
This podcast was produced by Alexander Baumeister who is also a journalist working

00:25:14.701 --> 00:25:18.581
for the radio station of the Funkamedia Group If you like the podcast,

00:25:18.761 --> 00:25:23.281
please like and follow us It helps make our work more visible Feel free to write

00:25:23.281 --> 00:25:25.541
to me if you have suggestions for future episodes,

00:25:26.221 --> 00:25:31.361
christenmodus at funkamedian.de Take care of yourselves See you soon Bye.

