‘It feels like the whole world is complicit’: What displacement feels like for women in Lebanon conflict
Escalating conflict in Lebanon has forced hundreds of thousands of women and girls to flee their homes. Two women from South Lebanon share the impact of war on women in Lebanon.
“This is my second displacement in recent years. And I have not forgotten the repeated wars on South Lebanon since we were children”, says Zainab*, 63, one of 620,000 women and girls [1] who have been forced to flee their homes in the last month, following the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon.
Zainab and her husband fled Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, in early March. The couple spent two nights sleeping in their car before they sought shelter at The Islamic University in Khaldeh, 15 kilometers south of Beirut, Lebanon. They are among 390 other families sheltering in a space never designed to house displaced families. More than half of people staying there are women and girls, with more arriving daily as displacement from South Lebanon and other regions accelerates.
How does conflict and displacement affect women differently than men?
Conflict and displacement worsen pre-existing gender inequalities, meaning that women and girls are always disproportionately affected during humanitarian crises. Their safety and well-being are at increased risk and longer-term vulnerabilities – including economic vulnerability – deepen. Women and girls often shoulder a heavier burden of care responsibilities and of keeping families afloat – tending to the injured, calming frightened children, skipping meals so others can eat, and holding families together under constant stress.
Access to food, shelter, and health care is a continuous challenge for displaced families in Lebanon right now
Zainab, a former seamstress, has chronic heart condition. She is the primary caregiver for her husband, who has diabetes and other health complications. Like many newly displaced families, they are sleeping in the hallway, without proper bedding, heating, or basic necessities.
Residents at the shelter say they only receive one meal of rice, potatoes, or pasta a day. There is little protein. Families with babies are running out of milk and diapers.
“I don’t even have a pillow here. No hot water to wash, not even socks. We need medication for both of us, but how can we get it?” asks Zainab.
Zainab turns to Hadil*, 28, who is also from Nabatieh. The two women, from different generations, have bonded over their experiences, the hardships and the sentiments they feel towards their situation.
“I am thinking of going back to Nabatieh, to die there”, Zainab says. She begins to tremble as she calls her husband: “Let us go home and die in our house. I cannot bear this situation anymore.”
Hadil listens and tries to reassure her, but she feels similar sentiments. Hadil was forced to leave her home a few days after the conflict began, following a warning. She arrived at the shelter with her parents and sisters. Her parents are sick and Hadil is their primary caregiver. She studied humanities at the university but was never able to finish her degree due to significant care responsibilities at home.
Are women and girls safe in displacement shelters?
Displacement creates additional risks to safety for women and girls. In informal housing arrangements, where more than 85 per cent of displaced women and girl in Lebanon are currently seeking shelter [2], and in overcrowded shelters with little privacy, women are more exposed to harassment and gender-based violence. Access to protection and justice services becomes more limited, even as risks of violence increase. Women reduce their movement and avoid public spaces, which further reduces their access to support.
“As a woman, everything is harder here” – Growing challenges for displaced women in Lebanon
For Hadil, the lack of basic necessities at the shelter is overshadowed by the challenges of being a young woman in a space where privacy is almost non-existent. “I feel helpless, as if I have no energy left. As a woman, everything feels harder here. Without enough clothes or necessities, I don’t know how we are expected to continue, or to stay strong in these circumstances”, Hadil explains. “We are trying to find a better shelter, but we haven’t been able to.”
When asked about what message she would like to share, Hadil says: “I don’t have a message for anyone right now… it feels like the whole world is complicit.”
The Lebanese Government has established over 660 collective shelters across Lebanon, most of which are in public schools. More than 136,000 displaced people are currently hosted in these shelters, which are operating at over 90 per cent capacity, with overcrowding exacerbating risks and needs for women and girls. The Islamic University shelter, supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs, is also facing significant pressure on space and resources. While some medical support is being provided by local organizations, including Al-Shouf for Development Association, a local women-led organization, broader humanitarian presence remains limited.
What is UN Women doing in Lebanon right now?
In line with its mandate to advance gender equality in humanitarian settings and its core commitments in humanitarian action, UN Women is scaling up its response to address the urgent needs of women and girls in all their diversity. This includes delivering lifesaving protection and livelihood support to crisis-affected women and girls, strengthening accountability to gender equality commitments across the humanitarian response, and amplifying women’s voices and leadership in decision-making.
UN Women is working in many displacement sites across Lebanon, with additional interventions being scaled up in the coming weeks to expand support to crisis-affected women and their families.
