حكاية الجنوب: مفتاح لبيت اختفى في ركام العودة

**Return to Southern Lebanon’s Villages Marked by Ruined Homes and Uncertain Futures**

*By [Reporter’s Name]*
*Beirut, Lebanon –* Residents of villages in the Nabatieh and Marjeyoun districts of southern Lebanon are confronting the physical and psychological aftermath of the war that devastated the region. While many have returned to their native towns, the destruction of homes and the loss of familiar surroundings have turned the act of “return” into a struggle to rebuild not only structures but also a sense of stability.

### Homes Reduced to Rubble

Moussa, a middle‑aged man standing amid the debris of his former house, described the disorientation he feels:

> “I returned to my house… and I don’t know where my room is.”

He explained that, for years, he could navigate every corner of his home without thinking—knowing the location of the sofa, his father’s room, and a photograph of his wife. Now, surrounded by collapsed walls, he must search for small remnants of his past, such as a broken cup, a photograph, or an old object.

> “What hurts the most is not that the house fell, but that I have to sift through the stones for tiny things that remind me of my life,” he said.

### Generational Perspectives

The challenges differ across three generations:

* **Elderly Residents:** Ali, a 30‑year‑old from the town of Blat in the south, pointed to the spot where his home once stood and said, “This is where my house was. Everything I built is gone. My work is not the same either. I have to think about where to start again—whether to bring my children back, stay, or move to the city. I have no answer.”

* **Young Adults:** Yasef (referred to in the article as “ويصيف”) noted that his generation has learned to restart life repeatedly, but the constant need to rebuild is exhausting. “One needs to feel that there is a stable place in one’s life,” he added.

* **Displaced Women:** Hanan, who has been living in a tent for three years after being displaced, expressed her anxieties about the future:

> “I was not afraid of the destruction as much as I was afraid of the future. The house can be repaired, but what will I do with my life? Where will

Article and image source: annahar.com