Beirut, Lebanon. About 400,000 Lebanese displaced by war have returned to southern Lebanon, with more expected in the coming week, Social Affairs Minister Hanine El Sayed said on Tuesday, citing a lull in the four-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Many others remain unable to return because their homes have been destroyed or are uninhabitable.
Return figures and ongoing displacement
Since March, around 1 million people have been forced to flee their homes, El Sayed said. Roughly 40% of those displaced have now returned to their towns and villages.
She said the number of people staying in collective shelters had fallen to about 13,000 from 37,000.
Shelters and aid measures
Some shelters will remain open for families who cannot return, while aid programmes, including emergency cash support, will continue. The number of shelters has declined from 692 at the height of the crisis to 479.
Additional centres have been opened in Nabatieh for people who want to remain close to their home areas.
Gap between returnees and those still displaced
El Sayed said the overall figures mask a divide between families able to return and those still displaced.
“These are families that are able to return to something, at least the basic minimum,” she told Reuters. “The fact that the others have not returned means they have a much harder situation.”
Authorities expect further returns in the coming days and hope that within about a week they will have a clearer picture of how many families cannot return at all.
“In about a week’s time … we would really know the size of the problem — how many absolutely cannot return because their homes have been totally damaged,” she said.
Conditions facing returning families
For many, returning home has not meant a return to normal life. Families are finding damaged houses, limited electricity and water, and destroyed businesses and livelihoods.
The government is working to restore basic services and expand cash assistance, rental support and employment programmes. Despite these conditions, many families are choosing to return.
