The bombs may have stopped falling in Lebanon, but for those trying to return home, the war’s impact is far from over. Unexploded bombs, unsafe buildings, and restrictions imposed by the Israeli army on those returning south of the Litani River make the journey home a dangerous and difficult one.
The 60-day ceasefire, which began on November 28th, has brought a temporary pause to the fighting, allowing many displaced people to head back to their homes. Collective shelters are emptying, especially schools, as host communities push to get children back in class. In Beirut, the number of displaced people in shelters has dropped by 67% since the ceasefire, and in Mount Lebanon by 77%. Many of the families who remain are those who rented houses and paid in advance, but it’s expected that most will leave by the end of the month. Even those who fled the country are now returning: 1,300 people, mostly Lebanese citizens, came back from Syria through the Masnaa crossing right after the ceasefire agreement.
With the ceasefire in place, our teams have started assessing the situation in all the shelters we’ve been working on over the past two months. We found that out of 47 collective shelters, only 13 still house people, and many of them are ready to go home in the next few days. The other 34 are empty.
Going home is complicated, though. Many homes have been destroyed or are unsafe to live in, and infrastructure has been badly damaged. Many areas are still without electricity and water. According to the World Bank, around 90,000 homes across Lebanon are partially or completely destroyed.
Many people who have gone back to their villages are finding their homes in ruins from Israeli bombs. Some are staying with relatives, while others have no choice but to go back to being displaced, their hopes of returning home dashed.
And then there are the safety risks. The war has left behind a huge number of unexploded bombs, and villages near the border are still off-limits because of the Israeli army.
So, while the ceasefire has stopped the fighting and eased some of the suffering, the humanitarian needs are still enormous because of the destruction, displacement, and loss of life and livelihoods.
Our teams in the South and Baalbek are now able to reach areas that were too dangerous before the ceasefire. We’re fixing up our centers and offices that were damaged in the bombing and getting aid to people. The ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel is fragile, and the fighting could start again at any time, but our teams are working hard to help people who have returned home and those who are still displaced.