“Everyone is heartbroken” in southern Lebanon

Country: Lebanon Source: Médecins Sans Frontières Forty-six days of continuous attacks by Israeli forces have taken a physical and mental toll on the residents of the south. Leila Rafei April 27 2026, 11: 30am After 46 days of attacks by Israeli forces, the landscape of Sour is marred by the rubble of collapsed buildings and meters-deep craters left by the impact of bombs. Cars sit abandoned, punctured by shrapnel. While most of its residents fled during the escalation, some stayed behind by choice or for lack of another option. Israeli airstrikes destroyed key bridges linking the south to the rest of the country, leaving them trapped and cut off under intense bombardment. Humanitarian workers withdrew as health care staff faced near-daily attacks and ongoing bombardment forced people to stay indoors. While the 10-day ceasefire has brought some sense of relief, it remains fragile under the buzz of Israeli drones overhead. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams are responding to the needs of people in the south and across Lebanon, providing health care through mobile clinics and supporting hospitals. During the escalation, MSF teams provided more than 21, 000 medical consultations and distributed relief items including over 32, 000 blankets and 25, 000 hygiene kits to support displaced people and others affected by the violence. Isolated, bombed, and cut off from health care Some of the people who stayed in the south did so because they had no other option — either due to the cost, a lack of shelter, the fear of losing their homes, or the sense of indignity associated with forced displacement. Many families in and around Sour were already displaced before the latest escalation started. Some had come from towns near the southern border, where Israeli forces have made incursions into people’s homes. Some patients stopped taking their medication because it wasn’t available. They also wanted to prioritize food and water. At the same time, they have no sense of security. “We stayed here and didn’t leave, thank God, ” said Hamad Darweesh, the secretary of the Jal El Bahr Palestinian community in Sour, where his family has lived since the since the Nakba, the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948. “For 46 days, we were trapped without basic necessities to survive. We had no medical care or anything. ” Cut off from health care During the 46 days, Israeli strikes hit residential areas, health facilities, and ambulances — with or without warning. Access to health care diminished significantly as health facilities in the south had to close down and most international actors left the area due to the insecurity. “Some patients stopped taking their medication because it wasn’t available, ” says Aida Hassounch, MSF general doctor. “They also wanted to prioritize food and water. At the same time, they have no sense of security. ” Many residents have isolated themselves indoors, afraid any movements outside would put their lives in danger; others have separated family members to mitigate the risks. Forcibly displaced by Israel’s ground invasion In addition to carrying out intense airstrikes on Lebanon, Israeli forces launched a ground invasion of the south, enforcing a “yellow line” or no-go zone where they have occupied part of Lebanese territory. This has prevented people from returning to their homes in some 55 villages. Further, thousands have been forcibly displaced by the destruction and demolition of entire villages and communities. Why are our villages and homes being destroyed? Why is there a yellow, red, and blue line? .. . It isn’t right to live like this. “Everyone is heartbroken and sad for the state of their village, and so are we, ” explains MSF patient Salha Srour. She is originally from the border town of Aita ash Shaab and has been displaced multiple times. “We hear the sound of explosions,” she adds. “Why are our villages and homes being destroyed? Why is there a yellow, red, and blue line? We used to eat what grew around our houses: lettuce, mint, and parsley, everything we used to plant. It isn’t right to live like this. ” MSF’s medical team works with staff from the Ministry of Public Health at Jabal Amel Hospital in Sour. Health care workers in southern Lebanon responded to mass casualties almost daily throughout the 46-day escalation. Lebanon 2026 © MSF Health workers continue to provide care Local health care providers have continued to work throughout the war, operating under immense pressure. Among them are more than 500 of our Lebanese colleagues at MSF. MSF teams in south Lebanon, including in Sour and Nabatiyeh, provide primary health care, mental health support, sexual and reproductive health care, and referrals for secondary health care while supporting hospitals with trauma and emergency care. MSF continues to call for an urgent scale-up of humanitarian aid and unhindered access to aid for people in need across the country. Isolated, bombed, and cut off from health care in southern Lebanon MSF continues to call for an urgent scale-up of humanitarian aid and unhindered access for people in need across the country. We speak out. Get updates.

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