Lebanese who evacuated from their homes in the south of the country were left without basic supplies and are desperate, according to a report in the Qatari-based Al Araby al Jadeed newspaper on Saturday.
Some 112,000 people evacuated to safety after Hezbollah began attacking Israel in October. Many found refuge in the coastal city of Sidon but say they were eager to return home.
Suha al Kadri told the paper that she and her family owned the apartment they were sheltering in but it had no furniture. We need things, we only have one mattress, cooking gas and a few items of clothing that we were able to take when we left. Our lives are different now. Even the weather is different," she said. "I have three children and will try to enroll them in a school in Sidon, but the costs are high.
The similarity to the difficulties of those evacuated on the other side of the border are clear but there is one notable difference. Hezbollah brought the war to the villagers' front doors and used their villages to launch attacks against Israel.
"My husband is with the Lebanese army but is looking for work to provide for our needs," Al Kadri said. Her words highlight the plight of many Lebanese soldiers who are poorly paid and unable to support their families.
Even before the war, soldiers were forced to find additional jobs. Thousands had sought additional income after their pay was cut amid the financial crisis plaguing Lebanon, according to a report published in May 2023, despite strict regulations forbidding it.
Umm Mohammed, also evacuated from her home to Sidon said they do not know if their home is still standing and cannot go there to see. "We know our neighbor's home was destroyed. My husband does not work and the costs here are higher than at home," she said. "We hope the war will end and we will be able to return home.
She said her children studied remotely last year. "I want to send them to school and had to sell one of my cats, to pay for books and notebooks that they need. Now I may have to sell the other cat."
According to reports in the Lebanese press, the residents of the south, now displaced, have to start from scratch and do not receive any assistance or basic supplies.
Many of them voice criticism of Hezbollah's support of the Palestinians in Gaza and claim that it does not help Gazans while the residents of Lebanon suffer.
The general manager of the NGO helping displaced residents of the south told the Qatari outlet that most had found shelter in Tyre, and a smaller number were in Sidon. Some had homes they had purchased after earlier conflicts. He said schools were being set up for children displaced. He said there were shortages of food and electricity in the coastal cities, and although NGOs were trying to help, they were not always able to provide any and were seeking funding.