"When we returned to the house, we didn't know if it was still standing or not - thank God, it is. You can stay elsewhere, but there is nothing like your own home," said Huda, a mother of four, a few days after she had returned to her house in Babliyeh, a village in southern Lebanon, after the ceasefire with Israel was agreed on 27 November.
Huda and her family fled their village on the 25 September. Two days earlier, Israel began an intense aerial bombing campaign across Lebanon that displaced more than one million people, primarily from south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. Huda's family listened anxiously as the approach of bombing grew nearer - until a bomb went off near their house.
Huda grabbed what possessions she could and set off towards Akkar, Lebanon's northernmost province, where she had relatives. It was the first time the family had been north of Beirut. They arrived penniless, bouncing between relatives' homes for a month before hearing of a school that was housing people displaced by the war.
The shelter, run by War Child, the only specialist charity for children affected by conflict, has housed dozens of displaced families since the sudden escalation in fighting in September.
War Child, which works in some of the most dangerous parts of the world providing emergency aid, specialist mental health support and education to help hundreds of thousands of children recover from the trauma of conflict, is one of the Guardian and Observer's charity appeal partners this year.
"We know how to change the lives of children who are caught up in wars they did not start, and the vital funds raised from this appeal will allow us to reach them and make this impact," the charity says.
Denne historien er fra December 14, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra December 14, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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EU launches 290-satellite space programme as rival to Starlink
The EU has launched an ambitious €10bn (£8.3bn) space programme with a constellation of 290 satellites to rival Elon Musk's Starlink, further widening the post-Brexit security gap with the UK.
'A slap in the face' Workers alarmed at Walmart's retreat on diversity policies
A year after the murder of George Floyd, Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart had a warning for corporate America. The death in 2020 triggered a wave of protest over systemic racism and was \"not an isolated event. We have a long history of racism, and we see unacceptable events continue.\"
Flogging Royal Mail to faraway owners is a gamble that may go horribly wrong for Labour
It is hard to see why the performance of Royal Mail should improve beyond what it could have achieved under its own steam
Inside the drug factory Plant produced Captagon pills that enriched regime
It was no secret: everyone seemed to know where it was. When asked for directions, the coffee vendor pointed up the hill.
Watchdog claims gambling giant 'at risk of criminal exploitation'
Australia's financial intelligence agency has taken the gambling giant Entain to the federal court, alleging it \"deliberately obscured the identities\" of high-risk customers and failed to stop a \"serious risk of criminal exploitation\".
More than 300 jobs to go at Lycamobile amid losses and VAT row
Almost 90% of Lycamobile's UK workforce have been told they could lose their jobs, the Guardian has learned, in an announcement that leaves more than 300 staff fearing for their roles shortly before Christmas.
Employment falls as companies respond to Labour's NICs rise
UK businesses are cutting staff numbers at the fastest rate since the global financial crisis, according to a closely watched business survey that blames the government's tax-raising budget.
Anger over US healthcare system is justified, says Michael Moore
Michael Moore, the Oscar-winning documentary maker reportedly mentioned in the manifesto of the suspected killer Luigi Mangione, has said anger expressed towards the health insurance industry since the killing is \"1,000% justified,\" but that he condemns murder.
Key minister quits Canada cabinet as tensions rise over Trump
Canada's minister of finance has resigned amid growing tensions with the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, over the threat posed by Donald Trump's \"America first\" economic policies.
Crime and tourism Alarm at civil role of army in Mexico
package holiday promises to whisk tourists in the Yucatan Peninsula from plush hotels to Mayan ruins on a new airline and freshly-laid train tracks - an adventure brought to them entirely by the Mexican army, which now does luxury tourism when not fighting crime.
