Dealing with the devastation of the Israel-Hezbollah war is straining civil society as the government fails to live up to its role. The majority of the approximately 1.3 million Lebanese who fled their homes for fear of Israeli strikes are slowly returning after from the 60-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah. At a time when everything shows that the truce is being observed to some extent, many Lebanese are concerned about how they will repair or rebuild their homes. The World Bank currently estimates the material and financial damages at around 8 billion euros.

“The cost of reconstruction is a huge burden for the financial sector which has almost collapsed,” Anna Fleischer, director of the Beirut office of the German Heinrich Bell Foundation, tells DW: “At this early stage I think the priority is the return of citizens and the registration of damage to their property. The cost is enormous and burdens an economy in crisis. It is clear that the government alone will not be able to shoulder the burden of reconstruction. So the first step is to assess and understand the needs.”

Everything depends on keeping the truce

Even before the conflict between the Hezbollah paramilitary organization and Israel, Lebanon was in dire straits both politically and economically. A caretaker government has been in charge for about two years, with the actual power vacuum making it difficult for government bodies to function. Today the situation is even worse. According to Human Rights Watch, almost 80% of Lebanon’s population lives below the poverty line, while inflation is at 250%.

Lin Zoyagian, head of the Social Investment Platform, which offers services to vulnerable social groups on a non-profit or low-cost basis, told DW: “The observance of the ceasefire as well as the international community’s stance in favor of Lebanon’s stability affect not only the how civil society organizations will respond to the enormous needs, but also how donors will commit financial resources.”

Sala Sebraoui, deputy mayor of Tyre, welcomes the civil society initiatives: “The needs of the population are huge and the municipality has limited resources,” he tells DW, adding that for now the municipality is focusing on restoring the water supply and electricity supply. “Almost 90% of the city is in the dark,” the deputy mayor underlines and concludes by saying that at the moment there is no detailed reconstruction plan nor has the city council met yet.

Editor: Stefanos Georgakopoulos