Beirut's sea corniche turns into an open shelter for the displaced policy

Al Jazeera Net correspondents

Beirut“We left when Haret Hreik was threatened, believing that the Israeli strike would end quickly and we would return, but the matter did not end, and 10 days had passed and we were sleeping on the Corniche,” Rawan says with deep sadness after being displaced from her home in Southern suburb to Beirut

With the escalation of Israeli bombing on southern towns and suburbs Beirut In the South, the number of displaced people has doubled, as official estimates indicate that more than a million people have been displaced to safer areas. While some were able to take refuge in the homes of their relatives or rent housing, thousands found themselves facing harsh conditions, and were forced to sleep in the open between the streets and public parks, after shelter centers filled them.

Rawan, her husband, and her three children, the eldest of whom was no more than 12, took refuge in the seaside promenade in Beirut, seeking safety. andThe family resides temporarily on the outskirts of the Corniche, between passersby and the sounds of the waves.

“The escape was fast and chaotic. There was no time to think or plan. The escape scene was collective, everyone searching for imaginary safety in the corners of the city.” According to Rawan's account to Al Jazeera Net of the harsh details of displacement.

Rawan and her family are trying to adapt to a new and unfamiliar reality. Day after day, they face more pressure, while questions such as: “When will we return? Will we find a home to return to?”

Shelter under the sky

As the number of displaced people increased, their suffering increased, with a severe shortage of shelter centers and an unprecedented rise in rental costs. As shelter options dwindle, many displaced people have taken refuge on the capital's Corniche sidewalks, where their daily stories are embodied.

From Ain Al-Mreisseh to Al-Manara, people's suffering accumulates amid the effects of war and destruction. A recurring scene that reflects the reality of many families who found themselves forced to adapt to the harshness of life on the streets.

This is Abu Muhammad, the head of a family who fled with his family from the Nabatieh region in southern Lebanon. He says with regret, “We thought that Beirut would be a safe haven, but here we are also without shelter, sleeping on the Corniche benches, and every day we wonder what we will do and where we will sleep tonight?”

Despite official and continuous efforts by civil society and local initiatives to accommodate the displaced, shelter centers face enormous pressure.

A worker at a shelter center explained to Al Jazeera Net that the center's capacity has exceeded the maximum, adding, “There are entire families sleeping in the school corridors, and we do not have enough blankets or food to meet their needs.”

A few months ago, Beirut was celebrating, as usual every year, summer tourist festivals and concerts that brought together hundreds of thousands of Lebanese from different regions, and set off firecrackers. Today, suddenly, the scene has changed, and the earthquake shells have begun to terrify people, and the sight of a displaced family lying on the ground on the Corniche, near a residential building, or even inside a garage, is no longer surprising.

Sleeping in cars

In the absence of adequate solutions, some displaced people were forced to use their cars as temporary shelter. Khalil, a displaced person from the city of Tyre, tells Al Jazeera Net his experience, saying, “We have been sleeping in the car for days. There is no other choice, and no one is helping us.”

According to Khalil, items are piled up inside the car, with bags of clothes and basic supplies occupying every corner, while the outside sound interferes with the whispers of children trying to sleep in the back seats. Although this situation seems temporary, the absence of government initiatives and the increasing pressure on relief organizations may postpone finding a solution. Permanent solutions.

The psychological and health pressures that children suffer in these circumstances further complicate the situation. Umm Ali, a mother of four children, says sadly, “My children cry all night because of hunger. I cannot do anything for them. This is the worst nightmare any mother can experience.”

According to official estimates, the number of displaced people in Lebanon in shelter centers is about 185,400 displaced people (38,400 families), and a thousand centers have been opened to receive the displaced, and the number of centers that have reached their maximum capacity has reached 807 centers.

The displaced are distributed in shelter centers by governorate as follows: 68,500 in Mount Lebanon, 51,200 in Beirut, 14,400 in the north, 14,200 in the Bekaa, 13,800 in the south, 11,700 in Baalbek-Hermel, 6,700 in Akkar. And 1100 in Nabatieh.