Tents, cars as homes: How Beirut’s displaced families live amid Israeli strikes

Rows of makeshift tents and parked cars have turned into shelters on the outskirts of Beirut, as thousands of displaced families struggle to cope after evacuation orders amid the ongoing conflict between Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah.

Ground reports by Ashraf Wani from the area show families, including children, spending nights in the open, with limited protection from weather and scarce access to basic necessities.

More than one million people have already been displaced across Lebanon as the conflict intensifies.

While some have managed to find shelter with relatives in safer areas, others have moved into temporary shelters. Many, however, have been left with no option but to stay in open spaces on the city’s fringes.

In one such location, small tents dot open fields, offering little respite to families forced out of their homes.

Vehicles parked along the roadside have become improvised homes.

“Any car you see behind is a small home where families are sleeping for the night,” said Ashraf Wani in a ground report from Beirut.

With large parts of the city ordered to be vacated, the pressure on both space and resources has intensified.

The scale of displacement has placed significant strain on the Lebanese government, with the situation fast evolving into a humanitarian crisis.

Despite the challenges, aid efforts continue.

Volunteers and non government groups are arriving daily to provide essentials such as food, water and breakfast to those stranded without support.

“Despite all these hardships, there are people coming every day… to serve food and water,” Wani said.

As the conflict shows no immediate signs of easing, displaced families remain uncertain about how long they will have to live in such conditions.