‘Abandoned and helpless’ Africans trapped in hellish Lebanon

As Israel intensifies its ground invasion of Lebanon to combat Hezbollah, hundreds—possibly thousands—of Africans, including students and migrant workers, are caught in the turmoil as they scramble for safety.

A placard circulating on TikTok asks, “Will Africans in Lebanon make it back home safely?”—highlighting the plight of black students and workers personally affected by the escalating crisis.

Among the displaced are African students enrolled at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and domestic workers, many of whom have been abandoned as their employers flee Lebanon. Nearly 100 African students are on scholarships at AUB, but their education is at risk due to the ongoing conflict.

Beirut, particularly neighbourhoods where Hezbollah operates, is facing widespread destruction, with debris and devastation telling the tragic stories of lives lost and disrupted. Israel’s ground invasion of southern Lebanon follows weeks of rocket exchanges between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, triggered by the Hamas incursion from Gaza on October 7th.

Hezbollah, regarded as a powerful non-state military group, is facing Israeli ground forces. The conflict escalated after Hezbollah’s leader of 32 years, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in the hostilities.

While the humanitarian crisis faced by Palestinians and Lebanese civilians garners significant attention, the struggles of Africans in the region remain largely unreported. Many African students and workers, especially from Kenya, Ethiopia, and Sudan, are trying to flee the conflict. However, they face challenges as Lebanese employers abandon them, telling workers to “sort themselves out.” This has sparked accusations of racial discrimination, reminiscent of how African students were treated during the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

African governments have been criticized for their silence, with little to no definitive moves made to evacuate their nationals from Lebanon. Although Kenya’s envoy to Kuwait, Halima Mohamud, assured that no Kenyan nationals had been harmed and that they were in communication with those stranded, fears are mounting. As the conflict escalates with increased rocket fire and bombings, many Africans in Lebanon are desperately calling for assistance to escape.

Meanwhile, Lebanese civilians and Palestinian refugees are fleeing the southern part of the country, anticipating a prolonged military campaign. The worsening conflict threatens to trap more civilians, including Africans, in areas under Hezbollah’s control. With Hezbollah accused of using civilians as human shields, there is growing concern that the situation could mirror the devastation seen in Gaza, where innocent people, including children, have been caught in the crossfire.

Despite these alarming conditions, African governments have yet to take decisive action to evacuate their citizens, leaving hundreds, if not thousands, to fend for themselves.