About a month ago, several residents, particularly in the towns of Ain Ebel and Debbel, received calls from the Israeli army ordering them to evacuate immediately.

The next day, the residents of Debbel woke up to a threat of an attack on a house in the town, which resulted in the death of three members of a single family: a man, his wife, and their young son, who was a member of the Internal Security Forces.

This marked a critical moment.

In light of this incident and the ongoing threats, families were forced to flee with the assistance of the Red Cross and the Lebanese army to locations deemed safer.

Some relocated to a monastery in the town of Rmeich, which opened its doors to accommodate the displaced, while others moved to Bikafya, specifically to centers designated by the "Kelna Ayleh" NGO to shelter families displaced from Christian towns.

"I Have Been Displaced Three Times"

Saada Younes, one of the displaced residents from Debbel, moved to Bikafya with her daughter. She shared her story with An-Nahar, saying, "For the past year, we have lived in fear and terror since the war began at the borders. We managed to hold on until a tragedy struck in our village when a family was killed by a rocket. It is unclear where that rocket came from, and we decided it was time to flee."

She added, "We contacted Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel, who assured us that the accommodations would be ready for us, so we packed our belongings and evacuated."

She remarked with a heavy heart, "What I miss most is my home in my village. We cannot endure being displaced every 15 years. I am 55 years old, and this is the third time I have been forced to leave. Every time we try to rebuild our lives from scratch, we are forced back into displacement. Today, my only wish is to return to my village and live in peace there."

Saada's situation mirrors that of many from her town who were forced to flee.

Elie Louka also hopes for an end to the war so he can return to his village with his family. He told An-Nahar, "I came from Debbel with my younger siblings, along with my sister and her children, to Bikafya. I miss home so much; everyone wishes to stay in their home and live in peace and stability, hoping we will return soon."

Even the children have their voices. Clarita Louka expresses, "Our hearts are in Debbel. We miss the village, the school, and our friends. We hope to return safely and find our home as it was before, not in ruins."

Even the children have their voices. Clarita Louka expressed, "Our hearts are in Debbel. We miss the village, the school, and our friends. We hope to return safely and find our home as it was before, not in ruins."

70 Displaced Children Enrolled in Schools

"Kelna Ayleh" NGO has taken on the responsibility of sheltering approximately 360 displaced individuals, specifically 60 families from Ain Ebel and Debbel.

In this context, Claude Abou Rahal, the director of the health center at "Kelna Ayleh" NGO, stated, "In coordination with the relevant authorities, we facilitated the evacuation of families from Ain Ebel and Debbel after receiving calls from them. We prepared three shelters in record time, equipping them with the essentials to help the displaced feel somewhat at home, even though nothing can truly replace the comfort of staying in one’s own home and village."

Abou Rahal added that "the NGO hosts nine doctors from various specialties, and all medical clinics are now serving the displaced. We are working to provide three meals a day for them, along with a variety of activities for children, while also addressing mental health through a team of specialists."

Regarding education, Abou Rahal explained that "there are 90 children in the centers, with 70 of them enrolled in private schools. They began attending three schools in Bikafya this week, equipped with all the supplies they need."

Like most towns in the southern region, the Christian villages along the border have not been spared from Israeli shelling. Residents of the villages of Ain Ebel, Debbel, Kawzah, and Rmeich have been forced to leave their homes and evacuate after attempting to withstand the situation for a full year since the onset of the support war.