As displaced families in southern Lebanon begin returning home following the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, many are confronted with devastating scenes of destruction. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble by intense Israeli airstrikes during the 14-month conflict.
For Mariam Kourani, 56, the destruction is personal. Walking through the remains of her house and restaurant in Hanouiyeh, she reflected on the $120,000 in losses her family incurred. “This was my house, my dreams, and my hard work,” she said, her voice heavy with emotion. The airstrike in late September destroyed everything, including her butcher shop and a business selling serving containers.
Kourani and her family are among nearly 1.2 million displaced people now returning to assess the damage. Many, like Kourani, find their homes gone, with their livelihoods in ruins. After renting an apartment in Mount Lebanon for $1,000 a month during their displacement, her priority is now to repair their butcher shop to resume earning an income. “We are starting from below zero,” she said.
Housing Crisis and Uncertain Reconstruction
The World Bank estimates that nearly 100,000 housing units were partially or fully damaged during the war, causing $3.2 billion in losses. Reconstruction funding remains uncertain. While Iran has offered assistance, its economic struggles and sanctions complicate the process. Hezbollah has pledged temporary accommodations for families who lost their homes, but the scale of the damage poses significant challenges.
Read:Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah start a ceasefire after nearly 14 months of fighting
Ali Saleh, a 59-year-old resident of Aita al-Shaab near the Israeli border, has seen this destruction before. His home, rebuilt with Qatari aid after being destroyed in the 2006 war, was obliterated again. “All the memories are gone,” he said. Saleh is now searching for a place to stay near his hometown, which he described as “disaster-stricken.”
In Baalbek, a UNESCO World Heritage site, 34-year-old Souad al-Outa returned to find her home in ruins. A recent airstrike in her neighborhood had killed several people, including her husband’s relatives. Standing in the wreckage of her children’s bedroom, she mourned the loss of her once “beautiful life.”
Resilience Amid Loss
Despite the destruction, some families remain resolute. In Qana, Abu Ahmad Salameh retrieved two carpets from the rubble of his family’s homes. “All this damage can be rebuilt,” he said. “This is our land, and we will stay here no matter what.”
The war’s toll goes beyond material losses. Kourani, who fled her home with her family on Sept. 23 as the conflict escalated, emphasized the human cost. “Israel has filled our land with blood,” she said. “Our big loss is our men.”
Read more:Israeli strikes kill a hospital director in Lebanon and wound 9 medics in Gaza
As Lebanon grapples with the aftermath of the war, the resilience of its people is evident. Yet, the road to recovery remains fraught with uncertainty and hardship.
Source: With inputs from agencies