Families in the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Gharbiya have begun moving into prefabricated homes erected among the ruins of houses destroyed by Israeli forces. The units provide temporary shelter that allows them to remain in the town until reconstruction. However, the approaching winter and the uncertainty over how long rebuilding the homes will take are raising residents’ concerns about their ability to stay in the units for an extended period.
Council of the South installs first units
The Council of the South installed the first batch of prefabricated units as rubble-removal work and preparations of the designated land were under way. The interim solution is intended to keep affected families in their town and ease the burden of renting alternative accommodation, costs that residents say many families cannot afford after losing their homes.
However, several residents say the homes installed so far still need essential equipment before they become suitable for daily living, particularly if the transitional period lasts for months or longer. These needs are becoming more pressing as tensions continue and no clear date has been set for the start of reconstruction and the families’ return to permanent homes.
Essential needs for winter living
Umm Ali says the destruction of homes has forced families to seek alternative housing options at a time when many are struggling to pay rent. She believes placing a prefabricated home on the family’s land provides a temporary solution that helps them remain in the town, but says the unit needs essential supplies to make it suitable for daily life.
She says the list of needs includes water tanks, windows, solar panels and sanitation equipment, as well as measures to prevent rainwater from reaching entrances as winter approaches. Residents’ concerns are not limited to the lack of equipment, as the limited space in some units poses an additional challenge for large families if reconstruction is delayed.
Ezzeddine family adapts to limited space
Kamal Ezzeddine and his family are facing this transition after moving from a spacious home equipped with everything they needed into a smaller space with limited facilities. Ezzeddine recalls what his home was like before it was destroyed, saying the new reality is forcing family members to adapt to living conditions different from those they were accustomed to before the war.
Ezzeddine says the prefabricated home still lacks furnishings, kitchen utensils and electrical appliances. He considers securing these supplies more urgent if his family is forced to stay in the unit for an extended period, rather than using it as short-term shelter before returning to a rebuilt home.
Ihsan Yaghi describes the prefabricated homes as an interim solution for families that have lost their accommodation, but says the main challenge is whether the units can accommodate the families if they have to wait a long time for reconstruction. She notes that one beneficiary family had been living in a home measuring about 250 square metres, making it difficult for a large family to move into a unit with limited space, particularly when it is not known how long they will remain there.
The prefabricated units provide affected families with shelter inside Zawtar al-Gharbiya instead of forcing them to leave the town, but they remain a temporary solution that cannot replace the homes residents have lost.
Continued residence in the units depends on completing water, power and sanitation facilities and protection from rain, as well as providing furniture and household items, while families await the start of rebuilding their homes destroyed by the war.
