Echoes of War
A building in Hamra neighborhood (Photo: Maria Rajha, November 28, 2024)
Israel's war on Lebanon seemed to have awakened the ghosts of previous wars in many of Lebanon's cities. The large flows of internally displaced populations (IDPs) triggered by Israel’s most recent assault on Lebanon rapidly transformed the face of numerous neighborhoods across the country. Along with other neighborhoods such as Zarif, Zokak Al-Blatt, Basta, Ras El-Nabeh, and Raouche, Hamra had visibly morphed through an array of socio-political and economic practices associated with its temporary population increase. In response, a small Beirut Urban Lab (BUL) team documented the transformations and practices related to forced displacements in the neighborhood.
This storymap reports on the findings of this investigation, delving into the patterns and forms of IDPs settlement, the mechanisms through which they accessed housing, the actors that supported that quest, and the consequent neighborhood changes at both building and district levels. The original intent was to build a diary that records transformations and gathers oral narratives as they unfolded. However, the team was quickly deterred from this goal as it observed that the IDP settlement had fueled local anxieties. There was a fear that documenting IDP locations might expose them to Israeli violence. In addition, echoes of the civil war resurfaced, suggesting this forced displacement may be permanent and transformative to a neighborhood that had once sheltered IDPs for over a decade. Cognizant that this work might add to such tensions, the team chose to wait until the declaration of a cease-fire. Today, we publish this story as a record of social solidarities, and a testimony to the adaptability of neighborhoods and the lessons that can be derived from them.
The storymap can be accessed here.
This storymap reports on the findings of this investigation, delving into the patterns and forms of IDPs settlement, the mechanisms through which they accessed housing, the actors that supported that quest, and the consequent neighborhood changes at both building and district levels. The original intent was to build a diary that records transformations and gathers oral narratives as they unfolded. However, the team was quickly deterred from this goal as it observed that the IDP settlement had fueled local anxieties. There was a fear that documenting IDP locations might expose them to Israeli violence. In addition, echoes of the civil war resurfaced, suggesting this forced displacement may be permanent and transformative to a neighborhood that had once sheltered IDPs for over a decade. Cognizant that this work might add to such tensions, the team chose to wait until the declaration of a cease-fire. Today, we publish this story as a record of social solidarities, and a testimony to the adaptability of neighborhoods and the lessons that can be derived from them.
The storymap can be accessed here.