FADIA JUMAA

Beirut- The Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip also affects Lebanon. The ongoing clashes in South Lebanon have displaced tens of thousands. Lebanese women, who were displaced with their families when the war started eight months ago, struggle to survive in temporary shelters. Some schools have been turned into temporary shelters for displaced people. However, displaced women living in classrooms have no privacy and suffer from diseases due to lack of sanitary conditions.

Fatima Hüeyin Abbas is one of these women. Being displaced from the village of Aitaroun located on the northern border of Israel, lives in one of these schools. “When we had to leave our house seven months ago, we did not know where to go. I live in a school with my sister, who suffers from chronic diseases. We could not rent a house because of our poor financial condition,” she told us.

‘We use a common bathroom’

Fatima Hüseyin thinks that the temporary shelters are not suitable for living. “We use a classroom as a living room, bedroom and kitchen. There is no privacy for us because we have to use the common bathroom. While some classrooms are for the displaced people, some are used for the education of children.”

‘All I want is the end of this nightmare’

Living in a classroom is very difficult, Fatima Hüseyin added, drawing attention to their poor financial situation. “What we earn from agriculture is insufficient to meet even our basic needs. All I want is the end of this nightmare so that we can return to our village. We are all tired. Sometimes, we wish to be in prison instead of being here.”

‘We have no privacy’

Zamzam Saeed Najiba is one of the women displaced from the southern Lebanese town of Beit Lif. “My children cannot complete their education. Since the start of the war, my husband has not been able to earn a living for us. We are vulnerable to infectious diseases. There are 200 displaced people taking shelter in this school. Women, children and men use common bathrooms. We have only a washing machine here. As women, we have no privacy; everyone knows what we eat, when we take showers or use the toilet, when our monthly period starts and what we talk about in our classroom.”

 

Speaking about the support provided by associations and humanitarian aid organizations, Zamzam Saeed Najiba said, “They provided support to us for several months but now we are left to our fate. If we are lucky, we can receive financial support from them when we have to go to hospital.”

The school hosts 40 families

Rima El Cemal is another woman displaced from Naqoura, a small city in southern Lebanon. “I have taken shelter in this school with my husband and children because we have money to rent a house or pay water and electric bills. My husband travels between the city of Tyre and the city of Naqoura every day to earn a living despite the ongoing clashes. There are 40 displaced families living in this school.”

Women living in this shelter need support and special care, Rima El Cemal emphasized. “Some families decided to return to their houses despite the ongoing clashes because they could not stand the difficult living conditions in the shelter. We cannot take a rest and we have no privacy. Our children do not have a space to play.”

She cannot receive treatment

 Zainab Abbas, a displaced woman from the village of Aitaroun, has suffered from a kind of inflammatory disorder. I have to take my medications regularly; however, I have no access to my medications. I have to use the common toilets and this poses a risk for me. We endure all the poor living conditions for our children.”