Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon – More than 87,000 civilians have been forced to flee their homes due to border clashes in southern Lebanon as part of Israel's war in the Gaza Strip that has permeated other borders. The weak Lebanese institutions cannot take on the humanitarian crisis of the displaced, but thanks to solidarity initiatives, they have their basic needs covered. This is the story.
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The Nabatiyeh governorate, in southern Lebanon, has become a refuge for tens of thousands of displaced people from towns bordering Israel.
Due to its geographical location, about 30 kilometers from the border, so until now it has been safe from Israeli bombing, Nabatiyeh has become the second municipality with the highest number of displaced familiesafter four months of border clashes between the Hezbollah militia and Israel.
Although it is governed by the Lebanese Shiite militia, leftist parties have a strong presence in Nabatiyeh. Retirees from the Communist Party, scout groups and civil society have dedicated themselves to welcoming and helping with their limited resources all the families who have fled the border fighting.
According to International Organization for Migration (IOM) Some 87,000 civilians now displaced from southern Lebanon.
“Everyone here helps with what we can. We cannot wait for the Government's response,” says Hisham Faour, a Lebanese retiree and former member of the Communist Party.
He and his group of retired comrades have created a network of volunteers and help with logistics, from preparing a database of donors of all types of blood for hospital emergencies, a telephone list of taxi drivers to help in evacuations and a record of donation collection and distribution points.
“We have the experience of the 2006 war in which Israel and Hezbollah clashed for 33 days in the summer of 2006 and displaced more than a million people on the Lebanese side and tens of thousands on the Israeli side,” Hisham emphasizes. before explaining that “we have mobilized in anticipation of a military escalation in Lebanon that would cause a collapse of hospitals and a mass exodus of people.”
A bankrupt state incapable of assuming the humanitarian crisis
With a bankrupt State and no government or president, the Lebanese authorities cannot assume a new humanitarian crisis for the displaced and cannot apply an emergency plan when they have deficient public institutions. This has been recognized by the acting Minister of Social Affairs, Héctor Hajjar: “It is true that our response is insufficient, but with a zero budget, that is something,” said Hajjar, in a recent press conference.
Over the next few weeks, the Ministry of Social Affairs will pay a one-time subsidy of $25 per family and an additional $20 per individual. An amount that is far from what is necessary to rent an apartment, and the centers for displaced people opened by the municipalities of Sour, Hasbaya and Saida are not enough to accommodate all those who have fled southern Lebanon.
Hisham explains that only 17 percent of the displaced families in Nabatiyeh are paying rent and that the rest have been taken in by families in their homes or have been relocated to empty homes because their owners are away.
“Donations of money, clothing and medicine are made in the surrounding towns. Of course, this is insignificant compared to what the Government could do, but our Government does nothing,” laments Zainab Salhab, owner of a clothing store, now converted into a charity store.
Jackets, shoes and used winter clothing are distributed at this warehouse free of charge to displaced women who need warm clothing for their families. Many displaced people fled in the month of October, when it was not yet cold and they did not think they would be away from their homes for so many months.
“Any of us could be in the same situation these women are in now. We have to help with what we can, we don't know when the war will end,” Zainab told France 24.
Efforts to shelter displaced people are key
Providing shelter to the displaced is one of the main needs. In the coastal town of Damour, on the shores of the Mediterranean, Ghassan Abdallah has made his beach resort available. This holiday complex with swimming pools, playgrounds and direct access to the square remains closed in the winter season, so Ghassan decided to host 27 families from the border town of Aitaroun, one of the hardest hit by Israeli bombings. “In winter we don't have customers. And these families need a temporary home. They have at their disposal an apartment with a kitchen, electricity and free Internet until we open for the holiday season,” explains Ghassan.
Ali Farhat and his wife now live in one of these apartments. They have been away from home for four months. “We are very grateful for Ghassan's hospitality, but it is very difficult to be here and not stop thinking every day about whether our house will be bombed. Or if we can go back and be safe,” Ali exclaims.
Although individual solidarity initiatives cannot replace state institutions, they help cover the basic needs of all these families who have lost their homes or have been forced to flee.
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