Inside the Conflict: Accounts from Lebanon
The conflict in Lebanon that began on September 23, 2024, has displaced countless families, destroyed homes, and disrupted lives across the country. Airstrikes have devastated regions in the south, Baalbeck, and the southern suburbs of Beirut, forcing people to flee in search of safety. Many are living in constant fear, leaving their homes behind, and witnessing their communities unravel.
The following testimonies come from three members of ICMC office in Lebanon who experienced the conflict firsthand. Their stories offer a glimpse into the challenges of daily life during wartime, revealing the emotional and physical toll that conflict takes on those caught in its path. Their names and positions have been withheld for their safety.
“We do not know when this will end or if we will survive this.” – L.
On the morning of 23 September, as I woke up for work, my mom messaged me from Baalbeck, Lebanon, that our village was being air-struck by Israel for the first time since 5 am. We went to work, and I stayed on the phone checking on my parents and brother.
The airstrikes started in the afternoon, and my father informed me that they could not leave due to fear of being struck on the road or facing destroyed main roads and highways connected to Beirut and being stuck there. My mom continued updating me when they heard the sound of military aircraft and when they saw the fumes from the strikes surrounding the village getting closer to the house.
The hours passed in the afternoon, and everyone in Lebanon was facing a nightmare. People in South Lebanon fled with roads jammed with people running for their lives, surrounded by Israeli air strikes and cars barely moving, with no food and water.
At around 10:30 PM of the same day, my mom messaged me that they had struck an area 300 meters from the house; I had a breakdown and told my parents to flee to a Christian area around 15 minutes by car and stay in the school until the next day, I did not want my family to die. My family managed to flee to the school and arrived at around midnight, crossing roads filled with rubble and darkness.
We do not know when this will end or if it will end, or if we will survive this, but I know that last week was the most agonizing and horrifying week of my life… This is the first time I feel terror and uncertainty, with events escalating from bad to worse by the minute.
Imagine fearing going in the shower because you do not want to be naked when you have to evacuate the house. I could not shower for days, with a suitcase next to my bed as I tried to sleep at night.
Every day, I cry. I cry the people being killed, the streets and villages and shops being demolished by air strikes. Places and people we didn’t know how much they matter to us, and a feeling of home that is now forever missing.
Click here to read L.’s full testimony.
“Missiles were dropping on both sides of the road.” – E.
“1:00 PM Monday 23 September – South of Lebanon. The South had been enduring relentless missile attacks and airstrikes for some time before we finally made the decision to flee our home. In the weeks leading up to our escape, we lived in constant fear as hundreds of missiles fell daily. But on Monday, September 23 at around 1 PM, the airstrikes took a terrifying turn.
They became far more violent, targeting residential buildings and destroying main roads, leaving them blocked. The force of the blasts shattered windows and glass all around us. I remember vividly seeing two missiles land right before my eyes, with seconds in between. Thus I immediately asked my young siblings and mother to get in the car.
What was supposed to be a 90-minute journey turned into an exhausting 11-hour ordeal. Missiles were dropping on both sides of the road, and we had no food, water, or sleep. We finally arrived in Beirut at midnight, hoping it would be a safer place. At some point during the trip, my car window shattered—though I couldn’t even tell when or how—and I realized I had inhaled a significant amount of smoke as I was coughing and sneezing up gray particles. We left home with almost nothing, poorly displaced, and unable to find a decent place to stay due to the overwhelming demand and absurdly high prices.
I am not sure if my house was destroyed or not, but my hometown was.”
Click here to read E.’s full testimony.
“We took only our IDs so someone could identify us if we died on the streets.” – C.
“On September 23rd, our neighbors from the south arrived at our doorstep. They had narrowly escaped the devastation of their homes, seeking refuge in Beirut, unaware that our city would soon become the next target. We welcomed them with open arms, trying to provide a semblance of normalcy. Each day was a struggle, living moment to moment, anxiously awaiting news from our loved ones who were still trapped in the south.
The morning of September 27th began like any other, but at 6:20 PM, our world was shattered. They launched a strike on Haret Hreik. The sound of the explosion echoed through Beirut, but what we felt was even more terrifying. It was like a wave of fear washed over us, making everything feel like it was in slow motion. We were paralyzed, not knowing where the next strike would land or how powerful it would be.
Minutes later, the streets of the southern suburb were filled with people, dazed and uncertain of what to do next. With no safe place to go, we decided to stay in our home, the only place we truly belonged despite the looming threat. That evening, around 11 PM, Israel announced on Twitter that they would target specific buildings in Laylake and Hadath streets away from where I live, claiming there were weapons stored there. People started to flee.
By 4 AM, we were huddled near the stairs, hoping it was the safest spot. Realizing we could be next, we made the heart-wrenching decision to leave. We took only our IDs so someone could identify us if we died on the streets. The thought of leaving our home, the place we had always felt safe, was unbearable, but the instinct to survive pushed us forward.
The streets were full of displaced people, all showing the same fear and uncertainty we felt. It was overwhelming: children clinging to their parents, elderly people struggling to keep up, and families huddled together trying to find comfort in the chaos.”
Click here to read C.’s full testimony
ICMC established its Resettlement Support Center in Beirut in 2019 to assist in resettling refugees to the United States. However, the ongoing conflict forced the temporary closure of the office. Staff members living in bombed neighborhoods were evacuated for their safety, while key personnel continued working remotely to continue their mission of supporting refugees, who are now more vulnerable than ever.
