Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese are returning to southern Lebanon after a lull in the four-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, according to officials cited by multiple outlets. On Tuesday, Lebanon’s social affairs minister said that about 400,000 people uprooted by the war have gone back, and that more are expected to return during the coming week as conditions temporarily improve.
Despite the easing of fighting, many displaced people remain unable to return to their homes. Reuters reporting, carried by Al-Monitor, quotes Hanine El Sayed saying that since March around 1 million people have been forced to flee. She adds that large numbers still live in shelters or temporary housing because their homes have been destroyed or are otherwise uninhabitable.
The reports collectively describe a partial and uneven return process: while some areas see people moving back, infrastructure damage and ongoing displacement continue to affect the majority of those who fled earlier in the conflict.
