A Beirut blast: how inclusive disaster management for refugees and hosts reassembled a community in a disintegrated city

Overview

In the aftermath of the Beirut Port explosion, LGBT+ NGOs in Lebanon emerged as pillars of unity and support, particularly for women in all their diversity (WiTD) and gender minorities in both refugee and host communities. These NGOs swiftly pivoted towards disaster management, prioritising risk mitigation and rapid emergency response strategies amid the chaos. Their immediate focus was on providing safe havens and inclusive support networks for vulnerable groups, recognising and addressing the unique vulnerabilities faced by WiTD and gender minorities affected by the blast. By leveraging their networks and expertise, these NGOs created spaces that transcended societal barriers, ensuring equal access to crucial resources regardless of gender identity, orientation, or nationality. Collaborating actively with humanitarian agencies and other stakeholders, these entities emphasised intersectionality in their relief efforts. This approach enabled them to fill gaps in assistance and prioritise marginalised individuals who faced compounded challenges due to their gender identity, sexual orientation, and refugee status. Beyond immediate humanitarian aid, these organisations invested significantly in long-term disaster preparedness and risk reduction. The proactive approach of these LGBT+ organisations exemplifies a commitment to integrating inclusivity and diversity at every stage of disaster management and emergency response. Against the backdrop of Lebanon’s failure to integrate refugees and gender minorities into the country’s broader cultural and societal identity, this paper draws on qualitative interviews with these NGOs and their constituencies to critique conventional notions of resilience, arguing instead that for marginalised groups, the event of the disaster is not singular. Consequently, resilience must be understood as the capacity to navigate and withstand multiple ongoing adversities that are disproportionately both felt and addressed.