Social Affairs Minister says supporting residents in South Lebanon is key to preventing displacement

Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayyed said during a tour of Marjayoun and frontline villages in South Lebanon that supporting residents who remain in their towns is just as important as assisting displaced families.

She described the continued presence of civilians in their villages as “the first line of defense” against displacement efforts, adding that it also encourages the return of neighboring families who fled the fighting.

Sayed stressed that the return of displaced residents remains a priority for the Lebanese state.

The minister announced support for more than 6,000 families in the districts of Hasbaya and Marjayoun through cash assistance programs aimed at helping them remain on their land. The initiative comes within a broader government support plan that previously provided financial aid to more than 140,000 displaced families outside official shelters from various southern regions, in addition to 6,000 families who stayed in villages in the Bint Jbeil District.

She said her visit to frontline villages was intended to reaffirm that the state stands alongside the people of South Lebanon and supports their resilience amid ongoing tensions.