Trapped between aid and reality: Tripoli residents flee collapsing homes, face unaffordable rents

Report by Wissam Nasrallah, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian 

With tired hands carrying his personal belongings and a heart weighed down by even greater worries, Mohammed moved some of his things after he and dozens of others were asked to leave the hospitality institute in Tripoli. 

The institute had taken in people whose homes were threatened with collapse after years of neglect by the state and local authorities.

The government says it provided Mohammed and others with $1,000 per family for three months to rent housing until a permanent solution could be found. But those affected see it differently.

From the institute, Mohammed’s next destination was not far: he moved in with his brother in Tripoli. The small, crowded home was little different from the one he was forced to leave. 

Old walls, barely enough space for its occupants, and a new worry added to the burdens of displacement. Mohammed says rents in Tripoli have become unbearable. Prices keep rising, and available homes are either far from the city, uninhabitable, or in need of repairs he cannot afford.

Here lies the paradox. The government says it paid and provided three months’ rent support. Mohammed and dozens of other families say the amount is barely enough, as landlords demand four to six months in advance. 

Between the numbers on paper and the reality of having no roof over his head, Mohammed remains stuck, without a real home and without a clear solution.