A window to safety: How Roula returned to Tyre

When the bombing began in southern Lebanon in September 2024, thousands of families were forced to abandon their homes overnight. The escalation, concentrated in areas near the border, brought heavy shelling to towns and villages across Tyre, Bint Jbeil and neighbouring districts.

Residential buildings, schools and small businesses were damaged or destroyed, and essential services collapsed. For many, the decision to flee came in seconds, with no time to take belongings and no time to lock the door. 

Roula was one of those people forced to leave home. “When the bombing started, I was sitting with my two brothers,” Roula recalls, her voice trembling. "We could hear the shells… but we kept saying, it’s okay, it’ll pass." 

But it did not pass. The explosions drew closer. Panic replaced denial. “We ran. No time to think, no time to pack. We just jumped in the car and left.” 

The roads were chaos. “19 hours… stuck with no water, nothing. At one point, I thought I was going to faint,” she says, her eyes filling with tears. “My phone died. I could not even tell my brothers if I was alive.” 

When they finally reached Beirut, they were safe but their home in Tyre was not.  “A strike hit right next to us. The balcony was gone. The wall was cracked. Our neighbour… he died behind that wall.” 

For 15 days, Roula stayed away. When she finally returned, nothing could have prepared her for what she saw. “Everything was black. Burned. The smell… the smell stayed for weeks,” she whispers. “I left my bag and ran back out. I told myself; that’s it. I do not want anything anymore.” 

But Tyre kept calling. “It’s our soul. You cannot leave it,” she says. So, she came back. The walls were still standing, but the windows were gone. “My brother taped nylon to survive. You cannot live like that forever. Dust, wind, everything inside.” 

Help arrived through the Humanitarian Coalition’s emergency response in Lebanon. The programme goes beyond immediate relief. It restores dignity by repairing homes and rebuilding lives.

Across southern Lebanon, 102 homes have been rehabilitated —repairing essential damage to homes like Roula’s, four community facilities have been restored, and 5,825 individuals have been supported. This has provided more than shelter: it's provided hope, safety and a sense of home. 

“It sounds small, but it was everything,” Roula says softly. “To close your door. To feel safe. To see light without fear.” 

Today, her house outside is painted bright red. “They ask me why red,” she laughs. “I wanted something happy.” For four months, she scrubbed, cleaned and fixed every corner. 

"If it weren’t for those windows and doors, I couldn't have come back," Roula says, her eyes shining now. “Home is everything. Tyre is everything. Whoever lives here never leaves it behind."

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the individuals featured.