Critical supply

As the aggression against Lebanon continued, Egypt kept up its humanitarian aid contributions to the Lebanese people. Amirah Ibrahim again joined the effort

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Over the past three weeks, Egypt operated a virtual relief bridge between Cairo and Beirut, flying medicine, water and food to the needy of Lebanon who fled their villages in the south to avoid Israeli aggression.

"We have operated a high frequency of flights that reached three planes daily," stated a military source that joined one of the aid planes. "Many of our pilots asked to take the mission more than once only to contribute to help efforts to our brothers in Lebanon," he added.

Technically, the mission was never easy, as pilots had to stick to strict navigational routes agreed with the Israelis. Approaching Beirut's runwayan old one that had not been used for some timewas another risky process. Each plane would plummet to approach at merely 1,800 feet, in order to avoid military radars of both sides.

The Egyptian military C-130 plane this time was taking more medicine and medical products donated by the Egyptian Red Crescent Society to the Egyptian field hospital set up two weeks ago. This was my seventh time accompanying the missions, the aircraft's tailgate opening on landing with airport workers rushing to offload supplies; lorries taking the load directly to the donated hospital.

According to Colonel Mohamad El-Fangary, medical unit commander, the hospital in the first week received between 500-600 cases daily, increasing to exceed 1,500 cases daily at time of writing. "We have treated more than 7,000 patients in the first nine days. Our medical team carried out 47 big and medium surgeries," he explained. The medical team includes 50 doctors, nurses and other assisting personnel.

Located at Beirut University building, downtown, the field hospital includes theatre and x-ray facilities, while other medical specialisations were being added to meet the needs of Lebanese. "We mainly deal with civilian patients," started Colonel Ashraf Hamadah, hospital manager. "Due to the deteriorated social conditions, thousands live in one building; tens sleep in the same room. Many diseases spread among old people and children as well," he explained.

Among most frequently recorded cases, Hamadah indicated, were nerve and psychological issues. "Many patients recited how they could not sleep for weeks, as the raids were continuing through the night several times. We could see the impact of such stress in their complaints," he added.

Hamadah stressed the urgent need of Lebanese hospitals of pharmaceuticals and medicines, which the Egyptian hospital cooperates to provide, but within its capacities.

As we moved through the hospital, we could see immediately the level of medical demands and the need for medicines and treatments. Siham Daba, 45, was carrying her five-year daughter waiting to see the doctor. "My family consists of nine persons. We moved from Sour to Beirut where we settled in a school building. My daughter is ill, and other hospitals are very crowded. It took me the whole day to wait and wait. No one talks to us, so I came here to get her a medical care," she said. Others told similar stories of families displaced from their homes, seeking medical care.

Egypt's field hospitalas opposed to similar ones donated by Jordan and Saudi Arabiaseemed particularly in demand. "Egyptian doctors are famous for their skills, and the hospital is well equipped as we see," commented a young mother waiting with her baby in the lobby.

Beside medicines, Lebanese suffer shortages of drinking water. I joined Egyptian planes twice carrying tons of water both for drinking and daily use. On one trip, I joined an Egyptian Navy frigate that took more than 1500 tons of water. Loading at Alexandria harbour took 16 hours, while the trip took 27 hours from Alexandria to Beirut. Additional to the water, the load also included 54.6 tons of relief, including milk, oils, rice and sugar.

At Beirut port's platform Egyptian Consular Talal Fadly was waiting for the shipment. Tens of Lebanese army soldiers offloaded the consignment. "Water will be sent to Lebanon Water Company to be provided to houses," Fadly explained. "Other relief will be delivered to the Lebanese Relief Society."

Fadly indicated that the ship would take 120 Lebanese to Egypt where they would arrange means of transport to final destinations. Speaking of Egyptians departing Lebanon, Fadly explained that 14,500 Egyptians had been evacuated since the war began. "For now, we still receive about 150-170 requests daily of Egyptians and Lebanese married to Egyptians to be evacuated."

Fadly indicated that diplomatic efforts successfully helped exempting between 3000-4000 Egyptians who illegally entered Lebanon from paying a fine of $1000 stipulated for immigration law violations.

Just as we left Beirut port, Israeli warplanes bombed the port's lighthouse, crippling the future passage of seafaring vessels.

With roads completely destroyed by Israeli bombing and an air and sea blockade imposed on Beirut, the Lebanese have had no other means to go in and out of Lebanon but to try to gain a place on an aid planes or ships. Relief planes transported hundreds in and out of Lebanon. Aboard one of the Egyptian planes, more than 170 Lebanese with luggage took uncomforting seats inside a C-130 heading to Cairo.

"I'm going with my family to Cairo to seek refuge," said Donia, 32. "The Lebanese now are more aware of what they should seek in the coming phase. What we gained out of this war is more solidarity. We are not ready to give up our gains for which we paid an expensive priceour blood. We will not give up until we retain all our rights." Donia belongs to a Sunni family, but she did not hide her admiration to Hizbullah and its leaders. "The resistance is a Lebanese resistance. The Shia leader Fadluallah has been calling for unifying all sects of Lebanese and we agree with him. Many Sunnis used to go to pray with the Shias and listen to his speech."