Syrians fleeing Lebanon’s south struggle amid lack of support
Syrian refugees fleeing fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon grapple with new challenges and a lack of support, while displacement and bombardment stirs painful memories of war in Syria.
26 January 2024
Tyre, Lebanon – The National School in Lebanon’s southern city of Tyre has been bustling since last October. Dozens of children play football in the courtyard and weave through the school’s narrow hallways, passing between classrooms. On the second floor, in the last classroom at the end of the hall, 12-year-old Bayan al-Jassem meticulously copies down rows of math equations.
But Bayan, like the other children, is not a student at the school. She fled here with her family of 10 in early October, a few days after fighting erupted between Hezbollah and Israel on Lebanon’s southern border. For more than 90 days, they have sheltered in this small classroom: living, sleeping and eating within the school’s confines.
“I’m scared. We don’t have a home anymore,” Bayan said.