KHIAM,
Lebanon,
Aug. 22 When Mercy Corps and other Western aid agencies reached this
devastated village on the front line of the battle between Israel and
Hezbollah
with food and medicine, they quickly discovered they had a big problem: the
United
States.
Like all other international relief agencies here that receive financing
from the American government, Mercy Corps is barred from giving out money or aid
through Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group that is considered a terrorist
organization by the United States. But as with all the most demolished areas in
southern Lebanon, where whole villages have been flattened by Israeli bombs and
there is no food, water or electricity, this village is the domain of Hezbollah
and little seems to bypass the group.
That fact is nettlesome for the United States, not merely because it does
not want Hezbollah to be strengthened even further after its war with Israel,
but because it is eager to find and support a viable alternative to the militant
group.
That will not be easy. Hezbollah has been the fastest and, without a doubt,
most effective organization doling out aid to the shattered towns and villages
of southern Lebanon. Aid groups like Mercy Corps which generally work through
local intermediaries have sometimes struggled to find other ways of helping,
and even then, they cannot be sure their aid is not going through
Hezbollah.
You can make a separation between what we do and Hezbollah, said Khiams
deputy mayor, Muhammed Abdullah, 45, who is organizing the local efforts,
including donations of food and water from Mercy. But of course there is
coordination.
On Mr. Abdullahs desk is a paperweight with the logo of Construction
Jihad, Hezbollahs building company, and in his anteroom are two posters of
Sheik
Hassan
Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader.
Some villagers here say Hezbollahs involvement is even less subtle.
Unicef
has been here, and Mercy Corps and other groups, said Ahmad Zogby, 39, whose
house was destroyed, along with that of his parents. But everything coming in,
Hezbollah puts an eye on it, makes sure it is all given out in the proper way.
It is all in the hands of Hezbollah.
Though Hezbollah is only one of many groups providing social services in
Lebanon, its reputation for delivering those services honestly is unmatched,
making it that much harder to circumvent. In nearby Nabatiye, for instance,
Mercy Corps has begun working through the Jabbar Foundation, a nonprofit group
run by Yaseen Jabbar, a wealthy member of Parliament.
But the mayor of Nabatiye, Mustapha Badreddine, 55, says he considers the
foundation ineffective. For his own part, Mr. Badreddine says he does not belong
to Hezbollah, but that he works with it because it is trustworthy, far more so
than any other group in the area.
You cant say this money or aid is going to Hezbollah or not going to
Hezbollah, he said. It is a matter of normal human contact.
David Holdridge, Mercy Corpss emergency coordinator for Lebanon, said he
believed that the Jabbar Foundation has done excellent work, and noted that it
has received money from Unicef, the State Department and other groups.
Mr. Holdridge also said the power of Hezbollah in Lebanese communities puts
outside aid groups in a difficult position. The American government has not yet
clarified its rules on giving aid and money in Lebanon, though more guidance is
expected soon, he said.
At a briefing on Tuesday, William J. Garvelink, an official at the United
States Agency for International Development, said the agency was waiting on
proposals from aid groups involved in the area. He did not directly address the
issue of conflicts in distributing aid.
For now, aid groups are forced to make difficult choices about how to work
here, and with whom.
We clearly cannot and would not have any contact with Hezbollahs military
wing, or its social services arm, Mr. Holdridge said. But can we work with
people elected under its political banner? That is a gray area.
Other international nonprofit groups receiving American government money
are in a similar situation. I think there are enough organizations and enough
need here that it shouldnt be a problem, said Dr. Jeffrey Goodman, a medical
adviser to the International Medical Corps, which gets some financing from
A.I.D. But theres no question its a tricky situation.
Aid groups have faced similar issues before most notably in Gaza, where
they are still awaiting a full definition of what no contact with terrorist
organizations means, Mr. Holdridge said. The issue also arose in Darfur, where
the Sudanese government is accused of helping to carry out the mass killings and
displacement of civilians.
As an example of Hezbollahs hold on everyday life in southern Lebanon, Ali
Bazzi, the mayor of Bint Jbail, outlined his big dreams for his half-demolished
town as workmen raced past and tractors rumbled.
We are going to turn this city into a model city, Mr. Bazzi said, his arm
clutching a trademark Hezbollah two-way radio. There will be streets organized
in grids, parks in every neighborhood and apartment blocks.
Bint Jbail, the main Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon, saw some of
the worst bombing and fighting during the monthlong war, in which Hezbollah,
which is integrated with the general population, was Israels target. But Mr.
Bazzi intends to complete the reconstruction without using a single cent from
the Lebanese government, much less the United States or the West.
Instead, Mr. Bazzi is counting on Construction Jihad. Just a day after the
fighting stopped, Construction Jihad enlisted the volunteer services of 1,700
engineers, electricians, plumbers, architects and geologists who have cleared
streets, dug ditches and built temporary bridges.
While the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has just begun
organizing committees to study the reconstruction of the country, Construction
Jihad has all but completed surveys of southern Lebanese towns.
We were victorious over Israel, said Mr. Bazzi. Now we have to rise to
the occasion that follows.
Teams of volunteers wearing Construction Jihad baseball caps have
crisscrossed Bint Jbail and other southern cities. On Monday, the organization
began signing up families for grants of between $10,000 and $15,000 to help
cover rent and furnishings until new homes are built, and began helping small
businesses reopen. They have worked to help restore electricity in many towns
and to get water flowing again.
We consider this work to be like prayer and fasting, said Fouad
Noureldine, director of projects in southern Lebanon for Construction Jihad.
Some of the organizations volunteers in Bint Jbail said Construction Jihad
was in control of billions of dollars for the reconstruction, but Mr. Noureldine
would not give a figure. He did say that much of the organizations money has
come from wealthy Lebanese donors in Africa, Latin America and the United
States, though Iran is widely believed to have contributed a significant amount.
We will not wait for the government to do anything down here; we will do
it all ourselves while they are still just talking, Mr. Noureldine said. In
fact, were happy the government is late to do anything. They are trying to
divide the resistance and the people. The longer they wait to deliver any
services, the more they will fail.
Mr. Noureldine also dismissed the Bush administrations pledge of $230
million in reconstruction aid. If they were to give us all the money in the
world, we would not take it, Mr. Noureldine said. They will not be able to buy
our hearts. We are receiving billions now through our traditional channels. We
dont need American money.
Robert F. Worth reported from Khiam for this article, and
Hassan M. Fattah from Bint Jbail.
