As war erupted in Lebanon, scenes of displacement quickly returned to the streets. Roads filled with cars packed with families fleeing bombardment, while some displaced people spread out along the seaside corniche in Sidon and Beirut, waiting for shelter.
But the search for a roof has become an ordeal. Rental prices have surged to unprecedented levels, and available apartments are scarce, deepening a housing crisis that has forced many families to remain in their cars or on roadsides while they search for somewhere to stay.
In some areas, residents have refused to receive displaced families amid fears they could be targeted and anger at Hezbollah for engaging in the war again.
“As time passes, the chances of moving to safe housing are shrinking. There are not many options,” said Hassan Daoud.
“What is available does not suit us, or it is beyond our financial means,” he added, noting that some homes are too small for his family while others are far too expensive.
Daoud, a man in his thirties who fled on Monday from a village in the Bint Jbeil district, is still staying with his family of nine along the seaside corniche, living in their cars until they can secure suitable housing.
He said a woman asked for $2,000 to rent a semi-furnished apartment in the Barouk area of Mount Lebanon.
“Who knows how long we will stay there,” he said. “What we fear is that the war will drag on and we will be unable to pay rent for more than one month.”
Displaced families must now pay for many essentials they were unable to take with them when they fled. At the same time, their jobs and businesses have stopped, and their sources of income have dried up.
“We cannot afford such amounts,” Daoud said.
Multiple pressures
Like Daoud, thousands of displaced people have yet to find housing. For many, the immediate goal is simple: a roof to shelter their families.
But displacement carries heavy consequences, particularly as many people have yet to recover from the previous war.
Another form of hardship is faced by Haj Mustafa, who fled his village in Kafra in the Bint Jbeil district.
“It seems there is a municipal decision banning people from renting us homes simply because we are from the Shiite sect,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat, referring to measures taken by municipalities amid fears Hezbollah members could blend in among displaced families.
Mustafa described a long and exhausting journey.
“It lasted more than 25 hours. I felt dizzy many times and was extremely exhausted. I am 80 years old and can no longer endure such displacement. It is extremely bad.”
Speaking in a low voice, he added: “Perhaps what happened to us could have been avoided, I do not know. But we are not well. That is all I know.”
Several Lebanese municipalities have issued circulars requiring residents, property owners, investors and tenants to notify local authorities in writing before signing any rental contract or occupying residential apartments.
Officials say the measures aim to ensure administrative order and proper application of the law.
Rising rents
Crisis profiteers are also exploiting the growing demand for shelter, either by sharply raising rents or imposing strict conditions such as annual contracts or six months’ payment in advance.
Mona, displaced from the city of Tyre, said: “I thought $800 would provide suitable housing for my family of four. But we were surprised that this amount is not enough for a small two-room apartment without furniture.”
“Why are they doing this to us?” she told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“Being forced into the war has already exhausted us.”
“We are losing, and we expect many more losses in lives and livelihoods. On top of that, we face rejection from fellow Lebanese of other sects. Of course we cannot generalize, but we are treated harshly and judged simply for belonging to a Shiite environment. They want to punish us for what the party did.”
Some landlords demand full payment for a year or six months upfront, such as $7,800 in advance for six months instead of $1,300 monthly. The conditions effectively limit available homes to wealthier displaced families.
At the same time, many Lebanese who experienced previous displacement and have the financial means kept their rented homes as a precaution and moved into them as soon as the war began.
Shelter centers
Meanwhile, many families are still waiting for rooms in official shelter centers. Some facilities have yet to open, leaving large numbers sleeping on the ground outside schools while they wait.
Dozens of people forced open the doors of some schools on Tuesday evening and entered them.
Lebanese authorities have published a list of shelter centers for displaced people, but the delay in opening some facilities has drawn criticism.
Sources at the Ministry of Education told Asharq Al-Awsat that shelter centers are opened gradually based on need, adding that the ministry responds immediately to requests from the Ministry of Social Affairs to open new centers.
According to official figures from the Disaster Risk Management Unit, the total number of shelter centers reached 171 on Monday. The number of displaced people stood at 29,347, while 52 people had been killed and 154 injured.
Mohammad Shamseddine, a researcher at the International Information organization, said the Bekaa region has seen fewer displaced people this time.
“The numbers are lower than during the same period in the previous war, when they reached 420,000,” he said. “Residents of frontline villages have still not returned since then because they lost their homes and livelihoods and the conditions for return and life there have not been restored.”
The United Nations said Tuesday that at least 31,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon due to Israeli bombardment and air strikes across several areas, particularly in the south and Beirut’s southern suburbs.
UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch told a news conference in Geneva that large-scale displacement has been reported after Israel issued evacuation warnings to residents of more than 53 Lebanese villages and carried out intensive air strikes there.
