Fifty aid flights, hundreds of specialists: Who is helping Beirut?
An analysis of the flights that landed at Beirut International Airport since August 4 reveals the level of support that has arrived.
By SETH J. FRANTZMANSaudi Arabia sends aid to Lebanon in the aftermath of Beirut blast(photo credit: SAUDI PRESS AGENCY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
Four days after Beirut suffered a terrible disaster, the world continues to respond with rapid support for the beleaguered country. Lebanon needs the support because the country is billions in debt and its government has proved dysfunctional in the face of other recent emergencies. Support has poured in from across the Middle East and Europe with many countries sending military aircraft with supplies and search and rescue teams.An analysis of the flights that landed at Beirut International Airport since August 4 reveals the level of support that has arrived. An attempt has been made to make a complete list of the flights or planned flights that have been announced by various governments. Overall, by August 8 around fifty flights had arrived carrying hundreds of tons of aid.Who has provided what. Iran sent at least two, perhaps three, flights to Lebanon in the wake of the disaster. It was not entirely clear what was on one of them but the Qeshm Fars Air, which is a US sanctioned airline, brought pallets with aid according to Iranian media. Russia sent three plans and more than 100 specialists. By Saturday Russia said it had helped 92 people and found two casualties in the rubble.France sent not only President Emmanuel Macron but also two or three government-supported flights and one flight from a company. The UK Royal Air Force, flying from Cyprus, came with a C-130 full of equipment and search and rescue experts. Qatar sent three C-17 aircraft on August 5 while Turkey said it would send support. The Netherlands was also quick to send two airplanes, one of which was Boeing 737 of Corendon airlines. Greece sent a C-130 while Czech Republic said it would send aid, the Kingdom of Jordan sent a field hospital and Poland sent a plan with firefighters. Saudi Arabia initially supported teams on the ground before sending several aircraft. Kuwait sent an A-320 and Germany sent a team with dogs and 50 personnel to aid in search and resce. Portugal also pledged support. August 6 brought more flights with at least one Royal Moroccan Air Force 767 landing, a Swiss business jet, a Kuwait C-17, more Tunisian aid and a flight from NATO. German and Italian C-130s also landed as well as an Egyptian C-130 loaded with aid that came at night. The next day brought another German and French flight and an Algerian IL-76. US Central Command C-17 Globemaster flights also began to arrive with aid, the first of several. A Pakistan and Omani C-130 flew into Beirut and another 40 tons of aid from the United Arab Emirates arrived as well. Two Saudi cargo flights, a Boeing 777 and Airbus A-330 came. Another French flight arrived as well.Saturday has seen more activity in Beirut. Another UAE IL-76 flew in along with a Moroccan Air Force C-130 and another Qatari aid plane. Kazakhstan also sent a flight, and Kuwaiti flights with C-17s full of aid arrived. Armenia pledged to send two flights with 12 tons of aid and a third Saudi flight, a Boeing 777, landed.Overall it is difficult to estimate the amount of specialists and tons of aid sent but it appears to be in the hundreds of tons and hundreds of personnel from across Europe and the Middle East. European countries have been especially generous in terms of technical support while Middle Eastern states have rallied their military C-130s and IL-76 aircraft, along with C-17 Globemasters, to provide aid. It is less clear what countries further away are doing but it is expected that many will send token aid. Providing aid to Beirut is also a way for countries to earn prestige and influence. For instance it is clear Russia, Turkey, Qatar, Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia want to show their abilities and also show support for their supporters in Lebanon. Some countries also want to support religious minorities in Lebanon, such as Armenia’s connection to the Armenian community. Lebanon has often been at the crossroads of history between competition in the Middle East and between European cultural inroads and Islam in the region. For instance Iran plays a key role supporting Hezbollah while France has a long connection to Christians in Lebanon. Turkey wants to grow its influence in Lebanon to displace Saudi Arabia. Aid is a way to not only show support but also try to craft the narrative and future of what comes next. For instance Russia’s rapid deployment of aid was meant to show it is replacing the US as the country in the region that can provide support and expertise.
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