Photographers Raise Funds for Humanitarian Aid in Lebanon by Selling Prints

## Art Photography Fundraising Initiative Supports Displaced Lebanese Amid Conflict

In an ongoing effort to support the humanitarian crisis resulting from recent escalations of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, a group of Lebanese and French photographers has launched the “Photographers for Lebanon” fundraising initiative. The sale of limited-edition prints aims to raise vital funds to help people in Lebanon who have been displaced by the conflict, which has caused thousands of deaths, injuries, and massive damage to infrastructure and cultural heritage.

### The Initiative

Launched on October 25 and running until November 25, 2024, “Photographers for Lebanon” is selling 100 prints by more than 35 prominent photographers. Each print, sized approximately 8 x 11 inches (or 20 x 30 cm), is sold for €150 (~$162), with proceeds going to a Lebanese nonprofit organization, **Mon Liban d’Azur**. The initiative was primarily started by photographers with personal connections to the region, motivated by their shared sense of humanity and solidarity.

Paris-based photographer **Emma Zahouani Burlet**, who has Lebanese roots, is spearheading the campaign along with a group of photographers and curators from both France and Lebanon. The team includes **Yasmine Chemali**, Director of the **Mougins Center of Photography**, French photographer **Marguerite Bornhauser**, and Lebanese photographers **Lara Tabet** and **Randa Mirza**.

Burlet emphasizes the importance of the campaign’s connection to the local context of Lebanon. “We found it important to support organizations that do not have international visibility,” Burlet said in an interview, adding that the intent is to ensure the campaign provides meaningful aid where it is most needed.

### The Photographs

The images featured in “Photographers for Lebanon” not only demonstrate artistic prowess but also exhibit deep connections to themes of displacement, heritage, and resilience. Among the contributions are:

– A *2016 landscape portrait taken in Afghanistan* by Hazara photographer [**Zahra Khodadadi**](https://www.instagram.com/z_khoddi/).
– A *family photograph from the 2020 series* “[Love is Worn Around the Neck](https://www.incadaques.com/2024-official-selection/rimma-samman),” hand-colored by French-Lebanese filmmaker [**Rima Samman**](https://www.instagram.com/rimasamman_/?hl=en).
– A *2015 image of Beirut* captured from the renowned Barakat building, a significant site of local architecture, taken by Lebanese artist [**Sirine Fattouh**](https://www.instagram.com/sirine_fattouh_/).

Besides these works, other contributing photographers include **Bayeté Ross Smith**, **Jade Maily**, **Safouane Ben Slama**, and **Joseph La Mela**, among many others. The diverse range of themes and perspectives collectively illustrates a profound sense of global storytelling.

### Monetary Goals and Humanitarian Impact

As of earlier November, the campaign has already raised more than €19,000 (~$20,500) of its ambitious €70,000 (~$76,600) goal. All proceeds will be delivered to **Mon Liban d’Azur**, which will redistribute the funds to reputable on-the-ground organizations, including:

– **The Lebanese Red Cross**
– **Lebanese Food Bank**
– **Cuisine de Mariam**, a Beirut soup kitchen
– **Caritas Lebanon**, a Catholic humanitarian aid group
– **Matbakh El Balad**, a food security initiative

Burlet emphasizes the initiative’s dedication toward helping local civil society: “Since we know the local context, we understand what civil society is doing on the ground, and we are doing our part by trying to help in the best way possible.”

### A Global Appeal for Solidarity

Beyond the immediate fundraising goals, the initiative seeks to raise awareness within the global art and photography communities about the ongoing humanitarian crises in Lebanon and Gaza. Burlet and the other organizers stress that art can serve as a universal entry point for conversation, storytelling, and activism.

Contributor **Jade Maily**, who donated a photograph of the Bayco and Ortigosa dam in Spain, highlights the importance of artists participating in such initiatives. Maily feels that supporting these humanitarian efforts is crucial as “what is happening concerns us all, and we cannot turn a blind eye.”

While offering a photograph may feel small, Maily stresses that this is simply one way to use art as a tool for greater change. “It’s nothing compared to what the sale will achieve on the ground,” she notes, “with the association and all those who are taking action.”

### Conclusion

“Photographers for Lebanon” demonstrates how art can become a powerful medium for global support and solidarity in the face of humanitarian crises. Through this initiative, artists use their platform not only to raise awareness but also to tangibly