displacement

May school in Tripoli: A Model of the Syrian Housing Tragedy during War

The emergency plan approved by the Lebanese government in response to the recent Israeli war on Lebanon excluded non-Lebanese displaced persons, especially Syrian refugees, from relief and shelter centers. In this report, we review the situation in May Public School in Tripoli as an example of the tragedy of Syrian housing in the war to highlight the urgent need for comprehensive shelter policies and protection for all displaced communities.

Displaced Syrians, between an emergency plan that excludes them and the UNHCR that ignores them

In Saida, 145 displaced Syrian families are living in a parking lot due to their exclusion from the relief response outlined in Lebanon’s emergency plan, which prioritizes Lebanese citizens. Both the municipality and the UNHCR are refusing to carry the responsibility for their shelter, with the UNHCR advising refugees to seek shelter elsewhere, leaving many homeless. This piece calls for the UNHCR to fulfill its responsibility by either establishing shelters for displaced Syrians or advocating for non-discriminatory access to shelter with the Lebanese government.

Eviction in the war: Protecting Private Property, the Case of Hildon Hotel

Once again, we document the story of an abandoned building, the “Hildon Hotel” in Raouche, where around 600 displaced people, fleeing the Israeli war, sought refuge. Though the hotel owner’s son initially allowed them to stay, he later demanded their eviction, forcing them to leave without alternative housing. This case highlights the urgent need for government intervention, calling for the use of vacant properties as temporary housing and ensuring evictions follow legal procedures with suitable alternatives provided.

The Right to Housing: Immediate Measures for Providing Equitable Shelter

By October 2024, over 1.3 million people had been displaced in Lebanon as a result of the Israeli war. Despite the urgent need for state-led relief, the government’s efforts have largely fallen short, …

The Right to the city and to housing during wars

It is not possible to imagine a war that would displace one fifth of the population, destroying the suburb of Beirut as well as the country’s southern and eastern region, bombing Lebanon’s entire …

Call regarding the Use of Public Spaces by Displaced Persons

The statement addresses the issue of displaced persons occupying public spaces due to the ongoing war and a rapid increase in displacement. In the initial phases, many displaced individuals sought refuge in open …

How the Zionist colonization derives its tools from European colonization

هذا هو المقال الثاني من الملف المتدحرج الذي ننظر فيه إلى غزّة لا كشعب مقاوم فقط، بل كمكان مقاتلٌ بذاته، من خلال وجوده ومناطقه وتاريخه. بعد المقال الأول الذي تحدّثت فيه غَيَد عن أحياء غزّة ومعالمها والقيمة السياسية للإبادة المكانية، تغوص في معنى تعبير “أرض بلا شعب لشعب بلا أرض”.

Unequal Distribution of Shelters: Undermining Shared Social Responsibility

Beirut has 114 designated shelters for displaced individuals, including public schools, private educational centers, and other facilities. These shelters are housing around 40,000 displaced people, mostly in crowded areas like Mazraa, Ras Beirut, …

Urgent World Habitat Day Appeal: End Israeli Occupation and Criminalise Domicide

Global Crisis of Housing Rights Violations in Palestine and Lebanon

As the United Nations marks World Habitat Day on October 7, we are encouraged to “reflect on the state of towns and cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter.” …

The displaced bring life back to a vacant building on Jeanne d’Arc Street

فُتح مبنى خالِ في شارع جان دارك لاستقبال النازحين جرّاء الحرب الإسرائيلية. إلّا أن الإعلام ضجّ استنكاراً لما اعتبره تعدٍ على الأملاك الخاصة وحقوق كبار رجال الأعمال، بدلاً من الاحتفال بتحويل الشقق الفارغة التي بُنِيَت على أنقاض النسيج العمراني الاجتماعي للأحياء، إلى مساكن تلعب دورها الاجتماعي الحقيقي في تأمين المأوى خاصة في أوقات الحرب والأزمات.

Master-Planning in Lebanon: Manufacturing Landscapes of Inequality

How is urban planning practiced in Lebanon? What is the motive behind issuing master plans? And in what way do these plans violate fundamental rights? We tried during the years 2017 and 2018 …

Land belongs to those who cultivate it:

The rights holders of in Shabriha

How does urban planning deal with informal areas? This question is a pressing issue for the future of Tyre and Abbassiyeh areas, where camps and informal gatherings constitute an essential component of the …