The Politics of Crisis-Making. Forced Displacement and Cultures of Assistance in Lebanon by Estella Carpi

Estella Carpi's book The Politics of Crisis-Making.Forced Displacement and Cultures of Assistance in Lebanon offers a timely exploration of chronic crises and refugee influxes in Lebanon.Given the reignited conflict in the Middle East and the lack of any foreseeable resolution, the book is bound to become essential reading for scholars, policymakers, and humanitarian workers seeking insight into the region.Moreover, as I will elaborate later, the arguments and observations in the book hold relevance beyond Lebanon, offering critical perspectives on humanitarian systems and interventions in need of urgent reform.The central focus of this book is on humanitarianism, which the author argues is deeply politicized and shapes social, political, and moral divisions within society, rather than simply mirroring them.The book is a wakeup call for humanitarians.It underscores the importance of comprehending how humanitarian interventions shape social relationships and everyday life of the receiving communities.The main argument of the book is that crisis discourse, rather than the crises themselves, drives these divisions and perpetuates violence, thereby maintaining the status quo, if not exacerbating it.The book opens with a compelling testimony from Wael, a Syrian refugee in his forties, who resides in a tent on rented land in Lebanon (Carpi 2023: 2).Born to Syrian parents in northern Lebanon, he returned to Syria with his family as a teenager.However, in 2011, conflict forced him to flee back to Lebanon.Carpi raises an important question: what is Wael lacking in order to live as a local resident considering his long-standing connection to Lebanon?The choice to start the book with this example prompts readers to question assumptions about both aid recipients and providers, as well as hosts and refugees.While Carpi draws on her own personal experiences working with displaced persons in the country, the majority of the book is built upon diachronic ethnographic research conducted in Lebanon, particularly in the Dahiye and Akkar regions, focusing on the period from the July 2006 war to the arrival of Syrian refugees in 2011.Carpi employs the apt musical term 'polyphony' to describe the diversity of voices integrated in this rich account of the transformation of Lebanon into a humanitarian space.The ethnographic work is truly impressive and demonstrates the author's deep understanding of the region, its history, and its realities.The book captures experiences of assistance providers, including international organizations and Hezbollah, as well as