Shamraiz | January 11, 2025
Innovation Amid Conflict
Amid the chaos and heartbreak of war, one woman’s determination is making a real difference for displaced families in Lebanon. Hania Zataari, a mechanical engineer employed by Lebanon’s Ministry of Industry, harnessed her technical expertise to create an “aidbot” — a chatbot system designed to simplify access to crucial aid.
Hania is a resident of Sidon in South Lebanon. She has seen firsthand the destruction of escalating violence between Hezbollah and Israel at the end of 2023. The war, which rapidly intensified on September 23, resulted in hundreds of deaths and the displacement of thousands of people. Families fled to schools, public buildings, and even overfilled relatives’ homes, but many slipped through the cracks of government aid.
“They lost their houses, their savings, their work, everything they had built,” Hania said, describing the plight of displaced families. Moved by their stories, she took it upon herself to bridge the gap between those in need and the resources available to them.
How the Aidbot Works
Hania’s aidbot uses artificial intelligence to simplify the distribution of food, blankets, medicine, and clothing. The chatbot is hosted on WhatsApp and asks users basic questions about their names, locations, and specific needs. The responses are automatically logged into a Google spreadsheet that Hania and her team of volunteers use to organize and deliver aid.
Developed on the platform Callbell.eu, the bot is a very practical solution to the overwhelming volume of requests Hania used to personally field. Automating the process allows her and her small team of friends and family to focus their efforts on getting aid to those who need it most.
“I don’t really care to know their names. I just need to know where they are so I can manage the delivery,” Hania explained. For instance, if a family requires baby formula, the aidbot records information such as the age of the baby and the amount required to ensure the right distribution.
The aidbot project is funded by donations from Lebanese expatriates. In order to keep the spending transparent, Hania made a public dashboard detailing exactly how funds were spent and the quantity of aid distributed. So far, her team has distributed 78 food parcels, 900 mattresses, and 323 blankets throughout Sidon and other parts of Lebanon.
Image: BBC
Families such as Khaldoun Abbas’s have had much to be grateful for. After leaving Najjarieh, Khaldoun, his extended family, and 17 others shared a small three-bedroom apartment in Sidon. Through the aidbot, they managed to get mattresses, blankets, and cleaning supplies that brought some sense of comfort in their dire conditions. Khaldoun’s house was destroyed later by an airstrike.
Challenges and Limitations
This aside, the aidbot is part and parcel of broader challenges that characterize Lebanon. There is the looming economic crisis for the government as well as non-governmental bodies. In such a situation, UNICEF Lebanon admits a funding gap standing at 80%, thereby being unable to take actions necessary to assist affected families.
Volunteer Bilal Merie pointed out the huge demand compared to the available supply, where even small efforts like Hania’s are hindered by too many needs. However, the aidbot has been an important asset in terms of streamlining and focusing the delivery process.
Experts see Hania’s initiative as a beacon of localized problem-solving in the humanitarian sector. John Bryant, a researcher at the Overseas Development Institute, praised the aidbot for its culturally sensitive design, which aligns with the communication channels used by the affected population. However, he cautioned against assuming its scalability, as similar solutions might not translate seamlessly to other regions without local adaptation.
Although the aidbot cannot solve all of Lebanon’s problems, it has undoubtedly eased the lives of many families whose livelihoods were affected by the conflict. As the country suffers through both war and financial stress, this technology represents a small but meaningful step toward improving people’s lives.
