LEBANON—Over the past few days the first of thousands of Lebanese refugees began returning home to south Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. For many it has proved to be a devastating experience as they discover their homes have been destroyed.
In South Lebanon towns and villages around Sidon and Tyre are in ruins. In areas of southern Beirut such as Haret Hreik, Dahia, and Beir El Abed, all that remains are wrecked buildings, dust, and debris.
Zaina Almed had taken refuge with her husband and four children in a school in central Beirut during the past month. She left her home in Dahia, South Beirut, following the dropping of leaflets by the Israelis warning of imminent attacks.
Piled into a mini-bus, I travelled with her and her family back to Dahia only to discover their home had been obliterated. For Zaina, this was the final straw. She broke down in tears clutching her youngest child Younis, aged four. She told me this was her worst fear.
She said: "I prayed this had not happened. This was our home. What you see, this chaos, is all we have now."
"I need my home back. I don't know what we will do."
Her husband Abed Almed unsuccessfully tried to comfort her. He told me they had been through "too much." He said: "We have been sleeping on the floor with 20 others stuck in one room. Now we will have to go back. We have not only lost friends in this war, now we have lost our home. The Lebanese are used to suffering, but this—no, we are not."
He continued: "I feel totally helpless, my children are suffering and I can do nothing."
It is the same for thousands of Lebanese throughout the country. They will have to return to refugee hostels and camps and from there not only start to rebuild their homes, but also their lives.
Devastation in the South
Yet for those travelling to South Lebanon, the outlook is even worse. The journey to the region is tremendously difficult with most key roads and bridges annihilated. The aid workers have only yesterday and today been able to get to some of the settlements. Conditions previously were too dangerous.
When people finally arrive they find the villages, having been subjected to heavy Israeli attacks, now lie in ruins. The damage has wiped out entire regions, making conditions unliveable. There is the added concern for an estimated 400 as yet not located unexploded missiles, which may effectively act as landmines.
Single father of three, 52 year-old Almet Younis today returned to his village just outside Sidon for the first time since the beginning of the conflict to find his home was gone, demolished by Israeli fire. He said: "I had been told it was bad there but I didn't expect that. They [the Israelis] have destroyed everything. I am not Hezbollah, but I have been punished anyway."
"I don't know what I will tell my children, they will be heartbroken."
He added: "You tell me, please. You tell me what I have done to deserve this."
The Politics of Aid
Non-Governmental Organizations based in Beirut believe there are approximately 100,000 families in need of immediate aid. But this morning Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah quoted the much more moderate figure of 18,000 families. He added that Hezbollah would provide these people with aid by "rebuilding their houses," and providing money for one year's rented accommodations.
Hezbollah has reasons for its aid effort. Their incentives are three-fold. The help they provide wins and maintains the support of the Lebanese people, especially at a time when the government do not have funds to help to the same extent as the Hezbollah, who have full Iranian and Syrian financial backing.
Their aid project also means the international community is faced with a carefully manufactured, delicate situation where the terrorist organisation responsible for instigating the war with Israel is now the main relief group—and therefore somewhat untouchable.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Hezbollah knows once the refugees have returned, the land is secured and they can regain control, regardless of the movements of the 15,000 Lebanese army troops into the region in the next few days.
The army is no match for Hezbollah, and won't try to be in any case. The two are interlinked politically with Hezbollah's 25 supporters in a 124 seat Lebanese parliament capable of wielding serious power and influencing major governmental decisions.
But regardless of all this, the refugees here need the help. The focus at this time, for these people, needs to be on getting food, water and shelter. They need aid and they need it now.
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