A lifelong feeling of displacement
A note to the reader: This article was written before the Lebanon conditional ceasefire, but details of ActionAid’s support remain relevant as the situation continues to evolve.
When Israa* and her family were forced to flee their home in Tyre, South Lebanon, in the wake of attacks carried out by the Israeli forces with nothing but the clothes they were wearing that day, it felt like the Day of Judgement.
“The day we were forced to leave is etched in my mind,” she says. “The planes roared above us, bombs exploded around us, and the children were screaming. We kept bumping into each other in confusion and fear, not knowing if we would survive.”
They spent 16 grueling hours on a drive that usually takes 30 minutes. Israa didn’t sleep for the next 48 hours.
Since that day, they have found refuge with Israa’s niece in ِAabra, but it has been nearly impossible for them to find work and they live in a daily cloud of uncertainty when it comes to their future.
With young children, an elderly relative in need of medication, and her brother battling diabetes, they face many difficulties. The family’s most immediate needs are blankets, pillows, and heaters to warm their empty shelter, and access to medication to help cope with the ongoing anxiety and trauma. Israa’s 22-year-old daughter relies on daily sedatives.
“Every day we feel the stress, all of us, and we have no idea what awaits us – just like everyone else,” says Israa.
Despite their challenges, this family extends kindness to others in need. At the beginning
of the war, they welcomed another displaced family, offering them half of their own
limited space. Even as she talks about the basic things her family needs, she acknowledges that there are others in still more desperate need.
“I’m not used to asking for aid,” Israa says, “but organisations like [Basmeh and Zeitooneh] welcome us kindly, so I reach out to them.”
This feeling of displacement is not a new one for Israa and her family. The pain of it has been part of their lives for as long as they can remember. As conditions continue to deteriorate, she holds onto hope.
What Israa longs for more than anything is peace of mind; to raise her children in peace. She pictures the exquisitely simple joy of having a cup of tea with her neighbours.
*Name has been changed to protect the identity of this family.
The interview that informed this article was conducted by staff at Basmeh and Zeitooneh, ActionAid’s partner in Lebanon, on 7 November 2024, and translated to English.
