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Lebanon: Hoping for peace, living in conflict

Samer in Lebanon gives us an insight into what it’s like living in a conflict zone. Join us in praying for peace.

Written by Tarryn Pegna | 03 Oct 2024

A small boy in a yellow T-shirt carries a plastic bag with nappies (diapers) in it over his shoulder.

A small boy carries a bag of nappies that his family received as part of the assistance provided by Tearfund’s local partner in Beirut to people displaced by the conflict. Credit: Tearfund Partner

British Lebanese are starting to arrive at Heathrow to escape the escalating conflict, uncertain of when it might be safe for them to return to their homes and lives in Beirut. But back in Lebanon Samer*, who doesn’t have the option to run from his beloved country, is moving from his house in a coastal town to stay in the home of his parents further south.

This puts him closer to the conflict, but he says, ‘That way, no matter what happens we're at least together. And it helps with trying to minimise our bills.’ Samer’s story is one of many. So far, more than a million people have been forced to leave their homes because of the impact of the conflict. Many, especially those living close to the southern border, have found themselves running for their lives.

Lebanon is facing this new escalation in the conflict in the region on top of an already dire situation: the Covid pandemic, political instability, an economic crisis, the massive influx of refugees fleeing Syria and the horrific Beirut blast. These have all contributed to a very challenging set of circumstances for people living in Lebanon, particularly in the past five years.

The country has seen a sharp increase in poverty and humanitarian needs, with access to essential things like food, healthcare, education and employment becoming increasingly limited.

‘What keeps us moving is hope’

‘What keeps us moving is hope that the war will end with minimal losses and damages,’ Samer tells us. ‘Because we’ve already had enough of that. And the hope that life will resume back to normal so that we can rebuild the damaged cities and towns.

‘It will take months to do that, but at least we can secure education for our children and get back things like the primary health care centres that used to provide health services for the local residents at not too much cost. For people to be able to go back to their businesses. Even if it’s just baby steps, at least this is our hope.’

For people in all of the areas affected by this conflict – Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank and Israel – the attacks have led to loss of lives and homes and forced a massive wave of displacement. Many civilians have been forced to flee with only a few belongings.

‘What keeps us moving is hope that… life will resume back to normal so that we can rebuild the damaged cities and towns.’
Samer, Lebanon

Finding shelter

In Lebanon, public institutions including schools, education centres and vocational institutes have been turned into emergency shelters to welcome some of those who have fled their homes. Other people have sought refuge in the houses of friends or family, and still others have used up their savings renting accommodation in other parts of the country, including Beirut – which until a few days ago had seemed like a safer place to be.

‘All of this has affected children's education, increased vulnerabilities, caused psychological distress and has even led to different abuses.’ Samer goes on to explain. ‘Households have been separated as men take the decision to stay in areas that are more at risk to try and continue to make an income while they send their wives and children to safer places.’

The impact on agriculture… and food

‘The agriculture has also been impacted by the shelling of phosphorus bombs, leading to minimal or zero harvest of vital crops like wheat and olives and vegetables. The land will need around ten years of rehabilitation before it is healthy enough to replant.

‘Usually, you can easily get vegetables and fruits during summer, or even wheat for preservation during winter at very low costs because it's locally raised. But, this is no longer the case. And even for olives and olive oil because there has  been no harvest since last year. So now, this year, one oil tank costs double or triple the amount it did before. So, it's affecting people’s ability to buy food. It's affecting the harvest, the agriculture and the farmers.’

The struggle for a place of safety

‘People who have been internally displaced also face opportunistic landlords who spike rental fees insanely, for nothing, just trying to make profit out of this whole situation. And this creates a greater burden on the IDPs**.

‘Some people fled to Beirut last October after the conflict first escalated, hoping that the war would end in a few months – maybe by Christmas. They paid from their savings for their rent fees, but all their savings are gone now. So, they prefer to go back to their villages, even though it’s unsafe, because they can’t pay the high amounts for rent.

‘And this is the case, many people returned to the south with their children, to live with daily, ongoing fire.’

Normalising war

‘And for most families, that’s been normalised. You’re normalising war. It becomes part of your daily bread. Some children are now able to identify and recognise different ammunition – whether it’s a sonic bomb, for example, or if it's some other type of ammunition. They are not in school learning about the things they should be, but they can tell you what's happening. This is really sad, because it is damaging the childhood of a full generation. Struggling with education, struggling with living a normal childhood life. Affecting and impacting their mental health as well as that of their parents.’

‘You’re normalising war. It becomes part of your daily bread. Some children are now able to identify and recognise different ammunition – whether it’s a sonic bomb, for example, or if it's some other type of ammunition.’
Samer, Lebanon

Samer’s family home was damaged earlier in the year when there was a target hit next to the house. They’ve covered the shattered windows with nylon. Hopefully, a time will come soon when they can replace the glass, but for now the fear is that it may not be worth the investment as they don’t know what's going to happen next.

‘If you have any money,’ Samer explains, ‘you're keeping it as a contingency because you might have to leave at any time. Or, you might need to prioritise food and meeting the basic needs. This is the story of my family and many other families.’

Livelihoods lost

Samer’s dad’s job is one that has not been feasible since last October, so he, like many others affected by the conflict across the region, has been largely without an income since then. It’s one of the reasons Samer is moving back home, to help share the bills.

‘We're adapting,’ he says. ‘We're coping, we're seeing what is the best lifestyle we can have in light of the ongoing situation. The hope of an end to the conflict keeps us moving. You can see it's mixed with resilience as well, and mixed with faith.’

Tearfund response in Lebanon

Since last October, Tearfund’s local partners in Lebanon have been helping to support people who have been displaced by the conflict, working to address the urgent needs of families by providing food, shelter and essential items like mattresses, clothing, hygiene products, dignity kits and babies’ nappies.

It’s a challenging context to work in because the risks are great and can also change very quickly.

For now, the immediate requirements are things like food and safe shelter. In the long term, along with needing to rebuild homes and businesses, for the survivors of this conflict, dealing with the toll on mental health will be another significant hurdle.

The conflict’s toll on mental health

Samer spoke to us about his own family. ‘My dad is stronger, but my mom is very vulnerable to the sounds. Here, we speak about a generational trauma, since there was the long Civil War (1975 to 1990) and the Israel invasion in 1982 to South Lebanon. It's a compilation of different traumas in the minds of the different generations. Sounds trigger different things in your mind. They can make you either black out or feel paralysed and not focused, or not even able to do your ordinary daily routine.

‘Even the sound of a loud voice brings on fear. You may just be chatting with someone, but you can sense that they're not fine.’
Samer, Lebanon

‘And this is very common among all families. Not only my family. So, we want this to end.

‘We keep in mind options and plans of where we might go or what we should do, for example if this happens or that happens or if this gets worse. You're constantly just busy thinking about how to save yourself and your family.

‘You live in anxiety, you live in tension, you live in stress – and it's affecting people's mental health and impacting their focus. People forget things easily. Sometimes, they can ask the same question several times.

‘And, of course it has an impact on daily work. For example, you can sometimes have sleepless nights because of rocket fire or military movement or the sound of aircraft. It slows your ability to pay attention or concentrate. And, of course, it shows different symptoms physically too. It can make you feel unable to do any physical activities, and many people are turning to medication to cope. To feel calmer because they are stressed.

‘Even the sound of a loud voice brings on fear.

‘You may just be chatting with someone, but you can sense that they're not fine.’

Middle East Emergency response

Samer’s story is just one person’s account of some of the devastating situations hundreds of thousands of people across Lebanon, Gaza and Israel are facing.

Beyond the loss of homes and livelihoods, many have lost loved ones or are living with injuries. And it seems that, for all, any sense of safety or security has been destroyed.

Along with Samer, we pray for a swift solution that brings peace to the region and for an end to the loss of lives.

‘The hope of an end to the conflict keeps us moving. You can see it's mixed with resilience as well, and mixed with faith.’
Samer, Lebanon

If you would like to join us in prayer for the region, we’ve created this guide to help you.

You can also give here to help us respond. You can find out more about what we’re doing in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank by clicking each of the place names.

*Name has been changed for protection.

**What is an IDP/refugee? People who have been forced to flee their homes and find safety in other places within their own country are often referred to as internally displaced persons (IDPs). Refugees are those who seek safety across country borders.

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Written by  Tarryn Pegna

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