00:01Basically, we are in a period of ceasefire, and the ceasefire is extended for three additional
00:08weeks, which is something that we highly welcome, even though there are still some sporadic
00:13attacks happening in the south.
00:16Based on the numbers and based on our presence in the field, there is still, like the majority
00:22of internally displaced households are still displaced, so the numbers displaced are really
00:29very high still.
00:30Very few people are trying to come back, basically to check on their houses, but the numbers,
00:37if we compare the numbers of those who were displaced and staying inside collective shelters
00:42before the ceasefire and after the ceasefires, we're kind of comparing 141,000 persons versus
00:51around 115,000.
00:53So it's a relatively low number of people who were able to return.
00:58And a lot, when they returned, they found that their houses do not exist or that essential
01:03services in the areas of residence are not available anymore.
01:08I can imagine that after six weeks of fighting, property, homes, infrastructure, all destroyed
01:15as well.
01:17Why then are people returning to this area?
01:20As you say, it's a small number compared to previously.
01:24But why are people still returning, especially when it's still a dangerous time?
01:32Yeah, exactly.
01:33So people have been displaced previously, and this is an additional displacement and continuous
01:40displacement.
01:40But what people wanted to see, they wanted to check on their homes.
01:45You know, displacement happened very quickly, evacuation orders happened very quickly, so
01:51they left with very little, and they left a lot behind.
01:55They simply wanted to check that they could come back.
02:00But again, as World Vision is on the ground, we're noticing that most of them are coming
02:07back to the shelters and that the needs are still very high.
02:11The humanitarian needs of internally displaced people in Lebanon are still very high.
02:17Just on that point, what's actually needed by those who are still displaced within the country?
02:23Do they have access to medical facilities?
02:26Can they get food, shelter?
02:30So the number of internally displaced people is very high.
02:34As I mentioned earlier, it's 1.2 million people.
02:38And out of these, we have around 390,000 children.
02:43So the needs are quite diverse.
02:45They are in need of food, and World Vision is providing hot meals, providing bread, providing
02:52ready-to-eat kits.
02:53They are in need of, like, really essential basic needs, such as mattresses, blankets.
03:00Like, even the cold was really, like, the winter was extended this year.
03:05So there was a need for, like, warm blankets and warm clothing for children, the need of
03:11clean water.
03:12And most of them that are residing in collective shelters are, like, the shelters are very crowded.
03:19So they are in need of protection.
03:23They are, the children are in need of psychosocial support.
03:27They are in need of returning to school.
03:30So this is an additional year of, like, displacement, an additional displacement, but also a lot of disruption
03:37to the education and shelters, most of them are public schools.
03:42So education is highly disrupted.
03:45Pauline, as we understand it, you know, we were talking about how homes, infrastructure, farms
03:49have been destroyed, and, you know, this fighting.
03:52How long do you think until the region would be able to recover?
03:58We pray for a very quick cessation of hostilities.
04:03And we believe that this is really has, this has drained the community. Again, this is a crisis
04:12or an escalation that happened following series of crisis that the Lebanese population were facing
04:19from, like, really a collapse of the economy. So honestly, like, a lot of support is needed,
04:29a lot of humanitarian support is needed, so that as soon as all of these hostilities stop,
04:36we will be able to recover. And, like, there's a lot of infrastructure damage. Hospitals are damaged.
04:44And as you mentioned, lots of agricultural lands are massively destroyed. Houses, like, more than 60,000
04:54housing units are destroyed. So people, unfortunately, might be displaced for a longer period of time.
05:02Displacement is becoming protracted instead of temporary if they do not have houses to return to.
05:09Pauline Ayd from World Vision Lebanon, we thank you so much for joining us on Weekend Breakfast.
05:15Thank you for having us.
Comments