Displaced families from southern Lebanon seek refuge in Beirut

(26 Sep 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Beirut - 26 September 2024
1. Various of displaced families sheltering at university building
2. The Arandas family displaced from the southern village of Majdal Selem sitting in a classroom
3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mahmoud Arandas, displaced from south Lebanon:
“Those who are driven out of their homes will definitely experience humiliation and hardships. While it is true that someone might help them along the way, they still feel degraded, no matter what is offered to them. They will continue to feel humiliated.”
4. Displaced person Sara Arandas scrolling through photos of her family in their home village
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sara Arandas, displaced from south Lebanon: ++STARTS ON SHOT 4++
“I feel sad thinking about where we were and where we are now. We used to be among our family, our people, and our loved ones, but now there is nothing left. Now each of us has gone to a different place, with one person over here and another somewhere else.”
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Batoul Dia, volunteer and displaced person from Beflai village: ++PARTIALLY COVERED BY SHOT 7++
"We are volunteers. We came from the Lebanese University, students who grouped together to help the displaced. I am one of the displaced. We are calling on the Lebanese government and the people to come to the ground and help these displaced persons who are in desperate need of assistance. There is a shortage of clothing, especially underwear, and cleaning supplies. We need all of these. People are staying in schools and colleges, and they are in need and calling for help."
7. Various of volunteers sorting through donated clothes
8. Exterior of displacement center
STORYLINE:
Schools and university building in Beirut have been turned into displacement centers as people flee escalating fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in south Lebanon.

As the ongoing violence continues to displace thousands of people, classrooms originally designed for education now serve as temporary shelters for those seeking safety.

The Arandas family, made up of nine members—including two brothers, their wives, and children—fled their home in the southern village of Majdal Selem.

They arrived at the shelter just a day before, bringing with them only memories of their home and village.

Sitting in a classroom that has been repurposed as a shelter, Mahmoud Arandas expressed the deep emotional toll of displacement.

“Those who are driven out of their homes will definitely experience humiliation and hardships,” he remarked.

The feelings of longing and sadness are evident among the displaced, particularly among the younger generation.

Sara Arandas, Mahmoud’s niece, expressed her sense of loss while scrolling through photos and videos of her family in their village.

“I feel sad thinking about where we were and where we are now,” she said.

In response to the pressing needs of displaced families, a group of volunteers has emerged to provide support.

Among them is Batoul Dia, a student from the Lebanese University and a displaced person herself.

“We are volunteers,” she explained. “We are calling on the Lebanese government and the people to come to the ground and help these displaced persons who are in desperate need of assistance,” she added.

Batoul also emphasized the urgent need for basic necessities.

Israel has carried out days of heavy strikes across Lebanon, targeting what it says are Hezbollah rocket launchers and other military infrastructure.




AP video shot by Ali Sharafeddine

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