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“We slept on the Saida motorway, my husband, my son, and I,” recounts Myriam, describing the night of 23-24 September when military operations in Lebanon escalated dramatically. Israeli attacks intensified across several regions, particularly in Bekaa and southern villages.
The Night of Mass Exodus
Residents of southern Lebanon were jolted awake by text messages urging them to evacuate homes near Hezbollah missile sites. One message read: “If you’re in a building with Hezbollah weapons, leave the village until further notice.” Another warned: “If you live near Hezbollah missiles, move at least 1,000 meters away.”
However, time was scarce as strikes began, targeting random areas and killing civilians, including children and women, wiping out entire families.
Thousands fled their homes in the south, Bekaa, and southern Beirut suburbs, areas that had been under attack for months. The violence peaked on 23 September, with Israel conducting 1,300 strikes, the National News Agency reported, with no diplomatic solution in sight for either Gaza or Lebanon.
Skyrocketing rental costs and fully booked hotels in safer areas forced many to spend the night in parks or cars—whether in Bekaa, along the southern highway, or in Beirut. Myriam recalls spending eight hours in the car with her family. “The road to Beirut was blocked, so we gave up and tried to sleep for two hours in the car, but the sounds of the strikes were more than we could sleep or cope with’.
Myriam and her family remained in Alma al-Shaab as long as possible, but the intensifying fighting and looming threat of war left them no choice but to flee without a clear destination.
“We finally made it to Beirut after hours of waiting and fatigue,” Myriam continues, “but I don’t know where to go now. We can’t find an apartment for less than a thousand dollars, and landlords demand three to six months’ rent upfront.” She adds, “We’re staying with my aunt for now, but we can’t stay long. Her two-bedroom home barely accommodates her family of five.”
The traffic heading to Beirut and other safe areas was compounded by a rush for bread, fuel, and food. Meanwhile, official shelters were inadequate, relying largely on individual and community efforts.
“We didn’t ask for this war… All I wanted was for my daughter to start nursery. It’s her first year at school. When she asked me why it was postponed, I told her: ‘First we defeat the evil sorcerer, then we go to school.”
Shelters Inadequately Equipped
Zeineb, a volunteer helping the displaced, shared her experience with Medfeminiswiya: “The needs are immense, and our resources are limited. Some schools have opened their doors to displaced families, and residents of safer areas are trying to help by taking in families, but it’s far from enough. Tens of thousands have been displaced, and this began back in October 2023 when the fighting first started. At that time, we were already talking about 120,000 displaced. This recent escalation feels like full-blown war.”
Zeineb continues, “There are heartbreaking cases—families with children, homeless and unable to meet their basic needs. I work in several shelters in Beirut, and the suffering is overwhelming.”
The Ministry of Health reported that Israeli strikes on Lebanon on 23 September left around 550 dead and over 1,800 injured. The Public Health Emergency Operations Center confirmed that among the casualties were 35 children and 58 women.
Leyla, another displaced woman, recounted her ordeal from a shelter: “I’m pregnant, with two children, and I don’t know how I’ll manage this fatigue.” She added, “We left our house in the southern suburbs after the pagers explosion, as one of our neighbours was gravely injured. We were terrified, so my husband insisted we leave for safety. We took just a few essentials and stayed with a relative before moving into a school-turned-shelter. But the situation is tough—there’s little help, no mattresses, and the toilets aren’t clean.”
A brief visit to these centres reveals the harsh conditions for displaced people, particularly those with children, the elderly, or the sick. Aid is scarce, and shelters are insufficient to accommodate the growing number of families who fled without being able to take anything.
The war weighs heavily on Lebanon, already in the grips of political, economic, and security crises. As one displaced person put it: “We didn’t ask for this war… All I wanted was for my daughter to start nursery. It’s her first year at school. When she asked me why it was postponed, I told her: ‘First we defeat the evil sorcerer, then we go to school.”
