Preparing for Potential Conflict: Housing and Shelter Plans Amid Rising Tensions

A report by Lara al-Hachem, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

Since Israel's vow to respond to the incident in Majdal Shams, residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut and Beirut itself have taken the threat of war seriously. With the assassination of Fouad Shokor and Hezbollah's promise of retaliation, the "drumbeats of war" have grown louder.

This sequence of events has driven residents of the southern suburbs and the south to seek alternative housing in anticipation of a full-scale war.

Some families have relocated women and children to rented apartments without the men, while others have rented apartments to secure accommodations should the worst happen, though their families have not yet moved. Another group has rented and paid in advance but only visits the apartment to check on it, waiting to see how events will unfold.

The surge in demand for rentals due to war fears is concentrated in areas such as Metn, Aley, Jbeil, Keserwan, and parts of Baabda and Beirut, followed by Chouf, according to Mohammad Chamseddine, a researcher at Information International. Demand is limited in the north and non-existent in the Bekaa, as it is a targeted area.

Rental prices have surged in some areas, such as Broumana, Beit Meri, and Hazmieh, with increases averaging 200-300%, primarily because the supply is far less than the demand. Given this situation and the economic difficulties faced by many Lebanese, some may find themselves unable to afford the increased rents.

In response, the Disaster Management Committee at the Prime Minister's office has requested the Ministries of Education, Social Affairs, and Youth and Sports to identify centers that can be equipped as shelters, especially in Sidon, Beirut, and Mount Lebanon. These ministries have facilities that could be converted into shelters.

According to information made available to LBCI, successive meetings will begin next week to identify and prepare these centers as quickly as possible. International organizations that participated in the Grand Serail meeting have asked Lebanon to develop a plan for the next phase so they can provide aid accordingly.