Hezbollah in Lebanon is providing significant aid to over 87,000 people displaced from southern border villages due to ongoing conflict with Israel since it decided to support Gaza.
The group is offering housing, food, and monthly payments through its Jihad al-Bina organization. It's also assessing damage for rebuilding efforts.
While the Lebanese government allocated one trillion Lebanese pounds (equal to $10 million from the 2024 budget) for compensation in November, Hezbollah reportedly allocates around $20 million monthly for refugee aid, covering rent and providing families with $100 to $200 per month.
Senior Hezbollah official and member of parliament Hassan Fadlallah had confirmed earlier that Hezbollah has started compensating those affected by Israeli aggression on border villages.
Hassan, a 44-year-old resident of south Lebanon, acknowledged Hezbollah’s promise to rebuild homes damaged by war.
However, some residents prefer financial compensation to buy homes away from the border to avoid future destruction, but Hezbollah hasn't addressed these requests, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Displaced families, according to Hassan, receive $100 USD every 15 days and assistance for heating.
Damage estimates are uncertain due to ongoing conflict, but Ali Hamieh, Lebanon’s Minister of Public Works and Transport, reported hundreds of housing units fully or partially destroyed.
According to the minister, over 9,000 units were partially damaged.
Mohammad Shamseddine of Information International told Asharq Al-Awsat that around 1,300 homes are completely damaged, 2,000 severely affected, and 3,000 with minor damage.
By the sixth month of the war, Shamseddine revealed that there were 87,000 displaced individuals, with most still in southern areas. However, many also moved to Beirut and other regions, staying with relatives or friends.
About 1,300 people are living in shelters like schools and clinics, while 500 wealthy families rented homes in Mount Lebanon and Kesrouan.
Shamseddine pointed out significant damage to agriculture, especially olive and tobacco crops.
Estimates of damages incurred by Hezbollah vary.
Economic sources suggest total losses are nearing $2 billion, while Ministry of Economy General Manager Mohammad Abou Haidar indicates losses surpassing $1.5 billion, with $300 million from closures in the south.
Shamseddine estimated direct war losses at around $250 million, with indirect losses reaching $900 million.
