War-displaced Syrians in Lebanon face a difficult dilemma as specter of a new conflict looms

Displaced by civil war, Syrians must now endure escalating violence in southern Lebanon or risk returning home. (Getty Images)
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Updated 03 September 2024
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War-displaced Syrians in Lebanon face a difficult dilemma as specter of a new conflict looms

  • Escalating hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel are deepening the plight of displaced Syrians, already living in extreme poverty
  • Refugees must now choose between onward migration, returning to an unsafe homeland, or remaining in a potential conflict zone

LONDON: Out of the frying pan and into the fire, Syrian refugees in Lebanon, who have found little respite since the war erupted in their home country in 2011, are now caught in the crossfire between Hezbollah and the Israeli military as the region braces for a potential all-out war.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, at least 31 Syrians, including two women and eight children, have been killed in Lebanon since Oct. 8, when Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia began trading fire along the Lebanese border.




Damaged buildings following an Israeli strike in the Dahiyeh suburb in Beirut on August 9, 2024. (Getty Images) 

“The irony of escaping death in Homs (in Syria) only to face it here sometimes makes me laugh,” Nour, a pharmacist who fled to Beirut with her brother and daughter in 2013, told Arab News.

“Now, not only do we have to endure the unbearable living conditions and discrimination by the authorities, but we also have to live in fear of bombs falling from above.”

Syrian refugees in Lebanon now face a cruel dilemma whether to stay and risk deportation to Syria, where conflict and persecution continue, embarking on a perilous sea journey to Europe, or risk remaining in an impoverished nation on the cusp of war.

“Tragically, we have already witnessed the loss of lives among refugees in southern Lebanon, underscoring the grave dangers they face daily,” Tania Baban, the Lebanon country director of the US-based charity MedGlobal, told Arab News.




Syrian refugees working near Lebanon’s border with Israel wait to be evacuated to a safe location, on October 13, 2023. (AFP)

On Aug. 17, an Israeli airstrike on Wadi Al-Kafour in southern Lebanon killed 10 Syrian civilians and damaged residential buildings, the AFP news agency reported. The Israeli army claimed it hit a Hezbollah weapons storage facility in the Lebanese city of Nabatieh.

Baban said the armed exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah “have plunged Syrian refugees into an even more dire situation, leaving them with impossible choices.

“As the prospect of a full-scale Middle Eastern conflict looms, these refugees find themselves trapped in a perilous dilemma,” she said.

“They must choose between remaining in Lebanon and risk becoming collateral damage in an intensifying conflict, or returning to Syria, where safety is still a distant hope and not an option for most.”




Children sit by as a woman washes dishes in a plastic basin outside a tent at a makeshift camp for Syrian refugees in Talhayat in the Akkar district in north Lebanon on October 26, 2022. (AFP)

Tensions reached boiling point in recent weeks after a senior Hezbollah commander, Fouad Shokr, was killed in Beirut in late July in a suspected Israeli airstrike.

On Aug. 25, Israel carried out a “pre-emptive” wave of airstrikes across southern Lebanon as Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets and drones at Israel, marking the start of the militia’s retaliation for its slain commander.

Combined with Iran’s pledge to avenge the death of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in another suspected Israeli airstrike in Tehran on July 31, a regional war involving Israel, Iran, and several of Iran’s militia proxies, seems more likely than ever.




A Syrian refugee woman living with others in makeshift tents in south Lebanon, hugs her child after an Israeli air strike targeted the outskirt of town of Burj Al-Muluk , some 18kms from the town of Nabatiyeh on July 20, 2024. (AFP)

Although the low-level conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has been largely confined to the Israel-Lebanon border area, with southern Lebanese villages suffering the worst of the damage, Baban of MedGlobal says the escalation “is not just a localized issue.

“It’s affecting many parts of the country, with devastating effects on both Syrian refugees and Lebanese internally displaced persons, as well as other vulnerable Lebanese communities,” she said.

IN NUMBERS

  • 1.5m Syrian refugees living in Lebanon, including 815,000 registered with UNHCR.
  • 9/10 Refugee households in Lebanon who are living in extreme poverty.

With Lebanon’s economy in crisis and with insufficient means to help both Syrians and displaced Lebanese, “the potential for conflict between these groups grows, threatening to further destabilize an already fragile nation,” she added.

As Lebanon braces for the possibility of all-out war, MedGlobal is collaborating with the Lebanese Ministry of Health to establish a command and control center to coordinate and streamline response efforts across the country.

“This center is vital in ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and that the most urgent medical needs are met with precision and speed,” she said.

MedGlobal’s efforts are currently concentrated in the West Bekaa region, “where we are providing critical medical care through a primary health care center.

“This facility is a lifeline, delivering essential health services to Syrian refugees, vulnerable Lebanese communities, and, most recently, families displaced from the southern border.”

Although many rights groups consider Syria too unsafe for the repatriation of refugees, there are areas of the country where fighting has long since ceased that could offer security not just for Syrian returnees but also for many Lebanese displaced by Israeli attacks.

Indeed, the intensifying exchanges have prompted some Lebanese families displaced from southern towns and villages to consider seeking shelter in neighboring Syria, where rents are often cheaper than in the safer parts of Lebanon.




Syrian refugees returning from Lebanon to their country through the Al-Zamrani crossing on May 14, 2024. (AFP)

For Syrian families unable to return to their home country, fearing detention or conscription, onward migration from Lebanon to Europe is viewed as the next best option. However, irregular migration is becoming increasingly difficult.

In early May, the EU announced a €1 billion ($1.1 billion) aid package partly aimed at strengthening Lebanese security services to help curb irregular migration across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

On Aug. 19, the Lebanese army said it arrested 230 Syrians who were attempting to reach Europe aboard a smuggling vessel. The military also conducted raids in the town of Bebnine and the Arida beach in northern Lebanon, where boats headed for Cyprus are often launched.




Greek fishermen rescue Syrian Kurdish refugees as the boat they had boarded sinks off the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkiye on October 30, 2015. (AFP)

Amnesty International criticized the EU-Lebanon deal, calling on world leaders to ensure funds pledged to support Syrian refugees in Lebanon “do not contribute to human rights abuses, including forcible deportations to Syria.”

The human rights monitor said the deal seems to have “emboldened Lebanese authorities to intensify their ruthless campaign targeting refugees with hateful discourse, forced deportations and stifling measures on residency and labor.”

The anti-Syrian rhetoric employed by Lebanese politicians has provoked an uptick in violence and harassment against refugees. Meanwhile, authorities have increased deportations and imposed tighter work and residency rules, leaving thousands with little choice but to leave.




A girl speaks with another as he carries a young boy while walking past tents at a makeshift camp for Syrian refugees in Talhayat in the Akkar district in north Lebanon on October 26, 2022. (AFP)

In June, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said “most Syrians” in the country would be deported, claiming that his government was “in the process of putting in place a solution” to the refugee issue.

After issuing eviction orders in June, Lebanese security forces conducted door-to-door checks in the northern villages of Btourram and Hasroun to confirm that Syrians living there without legal documentation had vacated their residences.

On Aug. 28, the Lebanese National News Agency also reported that security forces had evicted Syrians from their homes in the village of Rashkida in the northern Batroun district.

As a result, dozens of Syrian families have been left homeless, forcing them to seek refuge either with relatives in other parts of Lebanon or in makeshift camps, with serious implications for their health and well-being.




A Syrian refugee walks with her children at a refugee camp set up outside the Lebanese village of Miniara, in the northern Akkar region near the border with Syria, on May 20, 2024. (AFP)

MedGlobal’s Baban said that “while our immediate focus is on addressing these critical healthcare needs, we are acutely aware of the long-term impacts of this crisis, including the inevitable rise in mental health challenges.

“Although psychological support is not currently part of our services, we fully recognize its significance and are committed to considering a comprehensive mental health support program in our future response efforts.”

She added that the situation is becoming “increasingly untenable, and the urgency for international support and attention cannot be overstated.

“We are doing everything within our power to alleviate the suffering, but the scale of this crisis demands a coordinated global response to prevent further human tragedy.”

 


Syria’s Jolani says ‘contract’ between state and all religions needed for ‘social justice’

Updated 6 sec ago
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Syria’s Jolani says ‘contract’ between state and all religions needed for ‘social justice’

  • “Syria must remain united, and there must be a social contract between the state and all religions to guarantee social justice,” said Jolani

DAMASCUS: Abu Mohammed Al-Jolani, leader of the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham group that toppled Syrian president Bashar Assad, said Monday that a “social contract” between the state and all religions in the country was needed to ensure “social justice.”
“Syria must remain united, and there must be a social contract between the state and all religions to guarantee social justice,” said Jolani, who now goes by his real name Ahmed Al-Sharaa, on Telegram.
 

 

 


UN chief welcomes aid commitments by new Syrian authorities

Updated 1 min 34 sec ago
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UN chief welcomes aid commitments by new Syrian authorities

  • Guterres called on the international community to rally behind the Syrian people as they “seize the opportunity to build a better future”

UNITED NATIONS: United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher met with the commander of Syria’s new administration, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, and newly appointed Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Bashir on Monday to discuss scaling up humanitarian assistance in the country.
Following Fletcher’s meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that he welcomed the caretaker government’s commitment to protect civilians, including humanitarian workers.
“I also welcome their agreement to grant full humanitarian access through all border crossings; cut through bureaucracy over permits and visas for humanitarian workers; ensure the continuity of essential government services, including health and education; and engage in genuine and practical dialogue with the wider humanitarian community,” Guterres said.
Syria’s Bashar Assad was ousted after insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham swept through Syria in a lightning offensive, ending more than 50 years of iron-fisted rule by his family.
Guterres called on the international community to rally behind the Syrian people as they “seize the opportunity to build a better future.” The United Nations says seven in 10 people in Syria continue to need humanitarian aid.
Fletcher also plans to visit Lebanon, Turkiye and Jordan, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols Editing by Bill Berkrot)

 


US strikes Houthi command and control facility in Yemen

Updated 34 min 20 sec ago
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US strikes Houthi command and control facility in Yemen

  • The Yemeni rebels say their attacks — a significant international security challenge that threatens a major shipping lane — are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza

WASHINGTON: American forces carried out an air strike on Monday against a Houthi command and control facility that was used by the Yemeni rebels to coordinate attacks, the US military said.
The Houthis began striking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in November 2023, part of the region-wide fallout from Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, which militant groups in multiple countries have cited as justification for attacks.
“The targeted facility was a hub for coordinating Houthi operations, such as attacks against US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.
“The strike reflects CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment to protect US and coalition personnel, regional partners, and international shipping,” it added.
The Yemeni rebels say their attacks — a significant international security challenge that threatens a major shipping lane — are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Anger over Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the small coastal territory, which began after an unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, has stoked violence involving Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
The United States and other countries have deployed military vessels to help shield shipping from the Houthi strikes, and the rebels have periodically launched attacks targeting American military ships.
Washington’s forces have also carried out frequent air strikes on the Houthis in a bid to degrade their ability to target shipping and have sought to seize weapons before they reach the rebels, but their attacks have persisted.
 

 


US-brokered ceasefire fails between Kurdish and Turkiye-backed forces in Syria

Updated 46 min 22 sec ago
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US-brokered ceasefire fails between Kurdish and Turkiye-backed forces in Syria

  • Shami blamed the collapse of the mediation on “Turkiye’s approach in dealing with the mediation efforts and its evasion to accept key points”

CAIRO: Syrian US-backed Kurdish Syrian forces (SDF) said U.S-brokered mediation efforts failed to reach a permanent ceasefire with Syria’s Turkiye-backed rebels in the northern cities of Manbij and Kobani, according to head of the SDF’s media center Farhad Shami on Monday.
Shami blamed the collapse of the mediation on “Turkiye’s approach in dealing with the mediation efforts and its evasion to accept key points.”
The Turks are not happy about the ceasefire deal and Turkiye prefers to keep maximum pressure on SDF, a Syrian opposition source told Reuters.
Last week, the SDF said they reached a ceasefire agreement with the Turkiye-backed rebels in Manbij through US mediation “to ensure the safety and security of civilians.”

 


Negotiators say Israel and Hamas are inching toward a ceasefire deal. This is what it may look like

Updated 17 December 2024
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Negotiators say Israel and Hamas are inching toward a ceasefire deal. This is what it may look like

  • An estimated 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced, in many cases multiple times, and aid workers report severe hunger across the territory

DOHA, Qatar: After months of deadlock, Israel and Hamas appear to be moving closer toward a ceasefire to end their 14-month war.
Top officials from the US, Qatar and Egypt have resumed their mediation efforts in recent weeks and reported greater willingness by the warring sides to wrap up a deal. In a key concession, Hamas officials say they are prepared to show more “flexibility” on the timing of an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, and Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said Monday that a deal is closer than ever.
Officials on all sides have cautioned that key details must still be worked out. But there is a general sense of optimism that has been lacking for many months.
The changing sentiment appears to be the result of several factors. Israel has inflicted heavy damage on Hamas over the course of the war. The group is more isolated after Hezbollah’s ceasefire with Israel, and Iran, a key backer of both militant groups, has suffered a number of setbacks, highlighted by the downfall of its close ally, Syria’s Bashar Assad.
In the US, both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump have signaled they want a deal completed before the Jan. 20 inauguration.
According to Egyptian and Hamas officials, the agreement would take place in phases and include a halt in fighting, an exchange of captive Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and a surge in aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. Israel says Hamas is holding 100 hostages — over one-third of whom are believed to be dead.
Here is a closer look at the emerging deal, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing closed negotiations.
Preliminary ceasefire
The first phase would last from six to eight weeks. During that time, Hamas would release some 30 hostages – roughly half of those believed alive. They include three or four dual US-Israeli citizens.
Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including as many as 100 who are serving long sentences for alleged involvement in bloody attacks.
Increased aid
The deal calls for a massive increase in aid to Gaza, which has plunged into a humanitarian crisis during the 14-month war. An estimated 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced, in many cases multiple times, and aid workers report severe hunger across the territory.
This is expected to include a reopening of the territory’s Rafah crossing with Egypt, which has been closed since Israeli ground troops invaded the southern border town in May. The crossing is especially important because it is the primary exit point for Palestinians in Gaza who want to travel abroad, and the only one not controlled by Israel.
Mediators say they are considering a return to a 2005 agreement that allowed the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority to operate the crossing with European Union observers. That agreement collapsed when Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 and expelled the Palestinian Authority forces.
Israeli troop withdrawals
During the first phase, Israeli troops would withdraw from some Palestinian population centers, allowing many Palestinians to begin returning home. But Israeli troops wouldn’t leave Gaza altogether at this stage. They would remain along the Philadelphi corridor – a strategic strip of land along Gaza’s border with Egypt.
Ending the war
During the initial ceasefire, the sides would continue negotiations on a permanent agreement, to include an end to the war, full withdrawal of Israeli troops, and release of remaining hostages and bodies held by Hamas.
Talks would begin on final arrangements for Gaza, including who would govern the territory and plans for rebuilding the destruction.