War and Displacement Overshadow Eid al-Fitr Celebrations in Lebanon
In Lebanon, the typically joyous Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, is being marred by renewed hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, coupled with widespread displacement. For many Lebanese, the festive preparations have given way to hardship and uncertainty, draining the joy from the holy month and its culmination.
Grim Milestones and Humanitarian Crisis
Lebanon has crossed a grim milestone as Israel's strikes have displaced more than one million people, according to the Lebanese government. The health ministry reports 968 fatalities from Israeli strikes since hostilities resumed. The Iran-backed Hezbollah entered the broader regional conflict by firing rockets at Israel, prompting heavy bombardment of southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs, forcing countless families from their homes.
Basma Alloush, a spokesperson for the International Rescue Committee, noted, "A lot of the kids that I at least spoke to, their biggest wish was to just spend Eid at home. Eid is a time where all families come together, people celebrate with their relatives, and it usually brings a lot of peace and joy to families. ... It could be that many of them just spend Eid in shelters, in displacement."
Personal Stories of Loss and Displacement
Lilian Jamaan, displaced with her family in a school-turned-shelter in Sidon, expressed her despair. "There's no joy for Eid or for Ramadan or for anything," she said. Normally, she would be shopping for clothes and sweets, but now, "Everything is difficult." Jamaan has stopped fasting during Ramadan due to psychological stress and poor sleeping conditions, with her family split between the school and a car.
Asmahan Taleb, also displaced in Sidon, echoed this sentiment, asking, "How can we celebrate Eid when we're displaced from our homes and our land? Where is the Eid? Where is the happiness? It will be Eid when we can return to our homes."
Ramadan Observance Disrupted
The suffering has unfolded during Ramadan, with scenes of people fleeing homes, sleeping in tents or cars, and scrambling for makeshift arrangements. Only about 130,000 are in formal shelters. Jamaan misses her Ramadan routine of fasting, prayer, and communal gatherings. "We would break our fast, pray, make and drink coffee and I would go to the neighbors or they would come over after iftar," she recalled.
Alia Ismail, sheltering in Sidon, said, "We no longer can fast or buy anything for Ramadan." Her children ask for clothes and sweets, but she responds, "I can't get you that. There's no money." She sleeps in a school corridor with clothes as a pillow, highlighting the dire conditions.
Humanitarian Response and Funding Concerns
Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, described Lebanon as "the epicenter of the more immediate humanitarian fallout of this broader regional crisis." He expressed concern over funding shortages, noting, "My concern is that the funding is not coming forward like it did last time. We know there is less money available. We know there is also competing priorities. ... We will need to make an effort that really donors step up."
Since March 2, WFP has provided over half a million hot meals to displaced people in shelters. Online, volunteers and organizations have shared initiatives to distribute iftar meals and donate essentials like blankets, clothes, and medications.
Varied Needs and Community Efforts
Alloush emphasized the dire need for shelter, especially after a massive thunderstorm. "We're just thinking about the people that were sleeping outside, sleeping in tents that are not waterproof, sleeping on the mud," she said. The IRC has distributed mattresses, pillows, blankets, and coloring books, as many fled without clothes or toys for children.
Eman Abo Khadra, a Sidon hair salon owner, tried to bring cheer by giving free haircuts to displaced children. "It's a morale thing. What does a child know about war or no war. … It's just about planting some joy in their hearts," she said, though she noted the high tensions affecting even the young.
Striving for Normalcy Amid Chaos
In a Beirut school sheltering hundreds, some attempted to recapture Ramadan traditions, adorning hallways with decorations and using desks for meal preparation. Shaker Araqa lamented his dispersed family, "We used to gather. We were in one building. Now, everyone is at a different place."
Nabila Hijazi, at the school, said her children wonder about Eid, and she plans to buy them clothes, telling them, "God Willing, Eid comes and we return to our homes." She acknowledges her relatively better situation compared to others.
Back in Sidon, Jamaan prays "for God to stop the war, for us to return to our homes and for there to be peace," encapsulating the hope and despair of a nation facing crisis after crisis.
