FADIA JUMAA

Beirut-The people in Lebanon keep struggling against the political, economic and social effects of the civil war that has lasted for many years. Since Israel started a war on Gaza in October 2023, Israeli forces have carried out attacks on Lebanon's border region, displacing thousands. The families forcibly displaced from their towns and villages have taken shelters in schools or stayed with their relatives. Israel's attacks have not only displaced them but also deprived them of their livelihoods.

‘We could not harvest olives’

Most displaced Lebanese women used to draw their livelihoods mostly from agriculture before Israeli attacks. Wadi'a Tahini is one of them. “Our town is one of the places that was bombed and destroyed due to Israel’s attacks. The attacks also destroyed our olive orchard. We could not harvest olives and produce olive oil this year.”

‘We lost our main source of income this year’

Nihad Harb told NuJINHA that their agricultural land was damaged due to fires that broke out as a result of the bombardment. “After the bombardment, we went to our olive orchard; however, all the trees were burned. Olive was our main source of income. Unfortunately, we lost our main source of income this year.”

‘The war has deprived us of our livelihoods’

Zemzam Saeed Najiba has lived in a school located in the city Tyre with her family. Indicating that they cannot return to their town to harvest olives, she said, “My sister-in-law returned and harvested olives despite all the risks. Olive is our main source of income. We have a dairy farm in our town but we had to leave our cows. Now, we cannot make cheese or other products to earn a living. The war has not only displaced us but also deprived us of our livelihoods.”

‘We need all kinds of support’

Siham Hammoud has become the only breadwinner of her family since her husband died. “My husband died and I have a sick daughter. We live in a school in Tyre. We are displaced people, who need all kinds of support. In our village, I sold tobacco, thyme and olives to earn a living for myself and my daughter; however, we have no source of income now,” she told NuJINHA.

They were displaced twice

Noha Al-Kazem and her family members returned to their town during the ceasefire; however, they were displaced again after the ceasefire ended. “Before the war, we used to earn a living from olives. However, we were displaced to Beirut when Israel's war on Gaza started. During the ceasefire, we returned to our town; however, we had to leave our town again due to the ongoing bombardment. We had many goats; however, they were killed in the bombardment. My son and my husband are now in the village of Qaouzah while we live in this school.”