The situation in Lebanon has changed drastically following the major escalation on September 23, which saw an increase in Israeli strikes and a wider geographical reach of the raids. Even for the residents of the south, who have been caught in the crossfire since the Hezbollah-Israel front opened on October 8, the circumstances have shifted.
Milad Alam, president of the municipal council of Rmeish, told This is Beirut that the border villages of Rmeish, Debel and Ain Ebel are now “isolated” due to road blockages caused by intensified bombardments.
According to Alam, the difficulty accessing these areas has led to shortages of basic necessities like food and fuel.
“We are prioritizing needs,” he explains. “Today, with the help of the Lebanese army, which escorted us to and from Tyre, we were able to bring a stock of flour from Beirut to Rmeish. This should last us 20 to 25 days.”
“Medco also supplied us with 5,000 liters of diesel, allowing the village bakery to resume operations,” he adds.
In this context, Alam has called on the Lebanese government and the Lebanese army to take decisive action to assist families who have remained in their villages in southern Lebanon.
“The relevant authorities should work on developing evacuation strategies, supporting hospitals and establishing field ones, setting up dispensaries in the villages, and ensuring the delivery of medications,” he emphasizes.
Alam expressed his willingness to “collaborate with security forces, the army, and UNIFIL to facilitate the safe delivery of essential supplies to these three villages.”
“The current situation is dire,” he adds. “After 11 months of war and work stoppages, families have exhausted all their savings, particularly as workers in these rural areas are paid daily.”
However, the option of fleeing, which is prohibitively expensive, is not feasible for the residents of Rmeish, who have chosen to stay in their village and on their land.
https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/lebanon/295573
