Country: Lebanon

I was following the news from afar, watching the daily updates of the Israeli war on Lebanon through screens. However, after leaving Beirut International Airport and heading toward my southern hometown, I realized I was not prepared for what I would see with my own eyes. And how does one prepare for a shock of this magnitude? 

My name is Dona Lucia Saade, and I am from Jdeidet Marjayoun in southern Lebanon. 

I studied architecture and worked in the field. At the beginning of my career, the focus in the work environment was on luxury and aesthetics, alongside long hours spent either behind screens or in discussions with clients. I realized that this path did not nurture my interest in the humanitarian aspects that lie at the core of architecture. Therefore, I decided to expand my academic and professional experience by pursuing a master’s degree in international cooperation, thus combining my two passions: architecture and humanity. 

When the Beirut port explosion occurred in 2020, I was working with a local organization that combined my two fields of study. This crisis taught me the importance of connecting with people, helping them, and standing by them in the wake of a tragedy that changed the course of their lives forever. After that, I wanted to expand the horizons of my humanitarian experience and embark on international assignments, which led me to Ukraine in 2024, where I worked as a construction manager. A year later, I joined the international mobile staff of MSF, and that is where my new journey began. 

From Jdeidet Marjayoun to Port-à-Piment 

At the beginning of my journey with MSF, I set off from southern Lebanon to southern Haiti to support the organization’s teams there as a logistics manager in Port-à-Piment. My role was to support the maternity ward, which MSF had rebuilt and expanded in partnership with the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population and local health actors, amid high maternal and infant mortality rates in the country. 

I was excited to leverage my expertise in architecture, construction, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and energy, and apply it to my logistics management duties; technical expertise enhances the management of humanitarian operations. However, I cannot deny my anxiety about the new context I found myself in: a new country, security challenges, a responsibility that included managing teams outside my field of expertise, such as biomedicine and information and communications technology, and exceptional weather conditions. 

Welcomed by a Hurricane! 

As soon as I arrived in Haiti, a tropical storm named Hurricane Melissa was announced! I did not expect my first weeks on the assignment to turn into joining an emergency response, but I was surrounded by an excellent team whose professionalism, experience, and cooperation eased the difficulties of this critical period. 

I was amazed by the dedication of the logistics team, who would venture beyond the boundaries of safe zones to secure blood bags – a major challenge given the absence of a blood bank in the region. Ultimately, and fortunately, Hurricane Melissa did not reach where we were, although it hit other southern regions and caused damage there. Our preparations were fully in place, and through this experience, I learned that emergency situations refined me and taught me a great deal, especially patience, avoiding impulsiveness, and anger management. 

During the seven months I spent in Haiti, the challenges were daily, as were the learning opportunities. It is true that I was not part of the medical team, but my work contributed to improving our patients’ ability to seek healthcare smoothly and safely. In the maternity ward where I worked, the sight of mothers and their children arriving was the most beautiful reminder of the importance of the work we do across all fields in MSF. 

A Seven-Hour Difference 

I was still on my assignment when the recent escalation of the Israeli war in Lebanon broke out. I was in southern Haiti, while my family and loved ones were in southern Lebanon where the war was raging; the long distance and time difference only heightened my distress and pain. I remember the long hours past midnight in Haiti, following the fast-paced news coming from Lebanon before noon there. I could not stay away any longer, so I returned to Lebanon mid-May and went straight from the airport to my hometown in the south. 

As we reached the Nabatieh road, the shock began. The roads I used to take, the places I visited with my family, and the landmarks that mapped out the way to our town had all been levelled to the ground by the Israeli army. Nothing but rubble. The shock settled into my body for the first three days, along with grief, loss, and emptiness. However, I was grateful that my family suffered no physical harm. And as if the initial shock weren’t enough, the roads were closed for two weeks shortly after my return to Jdeidet Marjayoun as Israeli bombardments intensified. 

Hope for the Next Assignment 

Today, I am setting off on my second assignment with MSF, returning to Haiti (to the capital, Port-au-Prince, this time) as a construction manager. I look forward to growing and expanding technically with MSF. I am happy to return to Haiti and its kind people, and excited to re-engage with the cultural scene there, especially the local music that left such a beautiful impression on me during my first assignment. 

There is no doubt that I am worried about my family and my country as uncertainty and Israeli strikes continue in the south, but I will carry this worry and channel it into dedication to my work, my team, and the people we will support in Haiti. 

Deir Ez-Zor, Syria, 25 June 2026 

One year after Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) began supporting emergency services at Deir Ez-Zor National Hospital (DNH), hundreds of people injured by explosive ordnance have been treated at the hospital, highlighting the devastating and ongoing impact of contamination left behind by years of conflict. 

MSF published a report Explosive Remnants of War – Lasting Harm in Deir Ez-Zor, Syria on the human and health impact of explosive ordnance contamination in Deir Ez-Zor governorate. It highlights the key barriers to accessing timely, comprehensive, and specialized care, as well as the critical role of mine action actors in the governorate. The report draws on MSF and the Directorate of Health (DoH) medical data, covering the period from April 2025 to April 2026, as well as operational observations and interviews with patients, caretakers, and medical professionals involved in the provision of care. 

Between April 2025 and April 2026, MSF and DoH teams in the emergency room of Deir Ez-Zor National Hospital treated more than 215 people injured by landmines, unexploded ordnance, and abandoned explosives. Nearly half of the patients were children. During this period, 24 people died from their injuries, and 58 patients underwent traumatic amputations. 

Deir Ez-Zor remains one of the areas most heavily contaminated by explosive ordnance in Syria. Civilians are often injured while carrying out daily activities such as farming, herding livestock, collecting truffles, or returning to damaged homes and buildings. Children are particularly at risk while playing outdoors or exploring abandoned buildings. Many survivors travel long and dangerous distances from remote areas to reach emergency care, often without access to ambulances. 

“For the year that we’ve been working here, we’ve seen over 215 patients suffering from blast injuries, including children and farmers working their land,” said Rebecca Kerr, MSF project coordinator in Deir Ez-Zor. “Unfortunately, even today, we’re still seeing civilians being impacted by these explosives. Without improved trauma care, rehabilitation services, and clearance of contaminated land, these injuries will continue.” 

Despite the high number of trauma survivors and amputees, access to rehabilitation, prosthetics and orthotics, specialized mental health care, and socio-economic support remains severely limited, leaving many patients unable to recover or regain their independence. 

Mohammad, a young man from Deir Ez-Zor who lost both legs above the knee after stepping on a landmine while working his land, described how his life has changed: “Before, I worked every day and supported myself. Now I spend most of my time at home, and I depend on my family for almost everything. If I had access to artificial limbs, maybe I could regain part of my life.” 

Medical staff at DNH also highlight the economic pressures driving risk-taking behavior. “Some people knowingly enter mined areas to graze their flocks or gather truffles,” said Dr. Waseem Awak, resident doctor in the emergency and orthopedic departments. “In some cases, we treat multiple members of the same family.” 

Access to emergency trauma care remains a major challenge across the governorate. Shortages of specialized medical staff, limited equipment, and weak post-discharge services increase the risk of complications and death. “The number of injuries often exceeds the hospital’s capacity,” said Dr. Ammar Al Rajab, head of the DNH orthopedic department. “Post-discharge care is particularly weak, with a critical lack of prosthetics specialists and rehabilitation services.” 

MSF calls for an urgent acceleration of mine clearance and explosive ordnance disposal across Deir Ez-Zor as a first and critical step to prevent further civilian harm. This must be accompanied by sustained investment in emergency trauma care — particularly in remote and underserved areas—and comprehensive victim assistance services, including rehabilitation and mental health care. Without a significant scale-up of clearance efforts that matches the extent of contamination, civilians will continue to be injured and killed while carrying out daily activities. 

MSF has also witnessed how contamination continues to affect humanitarian operations and access to essential services. Some healthcare facilities, water infrastructure, and residential areas remain contaminated, limiting safe access for communities and humanitarian organizations alike. Mine action activities, including survey, clearance, and risk education, remain essential to reducing civilian harm and enabling humanitarian response and recovery efforts. 

Since April 2025, MSF has been supporting the emergency room at DNH in collaboration with the DoH, providing emergency care, laboratory services, infection prevention and control, sterilization, and water and sanitation support. MSF has also supported staff training, established a triage system, improved patient flow, rehabilitated the hospital’s waste management area, and installed new incinerators and an X-ray machine. 

MSF reiterates that without urgent action to accelerate the clearance of land contaminated by explosive ordnance and landmines, alongside efforts to address critical gaps in specialized care—including rehabilitation, prosthetics, and mental health services—civilians in Deir Ez-Zor will continue to suffer preventable deaths and life-altering injuries long after the conflict has ended. 

For months, the villages of Rmeich, Debel, and Ain Ebel in southern Lebanon have endured the consequences of Israeli military operations, repeated attacks, and ongoing movement restrictions. Located only a few kilometres from the southern borders, these communities found themselves trapped throughout the war, cut off from essential services, while facing severe limitations on their ability to move safely and access basic necessities.

While most residents of the border areas were forcibly displaced following Israeli evacuation orders, these villages remained inhabited. Families stayed behind despite Israeli attacks, widespread destruction, and damage to civilian infrastructure. “Residents described living in a state of uncertainty, with emergency medical referrals delayed for days and access to healthcare, markets, and essential services severely restricted,” says Guilherme Botelho, MSF Emergency Coordinator.

Despite the insecurity and severe movement controls imposed on the area, MSF teams were able to gain access to Rmeich, Debel, and Ain Ebel on two separate occasions to assess humanitarian needs and better understand the challenges that communities face. The journey itself revealed the devastating impact of the war.

“Along the route, we witnessed damaged roads, destroyed infrastructure, and extensive signs of destruction resulting from Israeli military operations. Months of attacks and restrictions have left these communities largely isolated, forcing thousands of residents to navigate daily life with limited access to healthcare, water, and other essential services,” adds Botelho.

One of the most urgent concerns identified by MSF teams was access to water.

Across the three villages, water infrastructure has been damaged or rendered inoperable. In Debel, the main municipal water source is in an area that residents can no longer safely access, while the water pump, solar system, and supply network have all sustained damage. Most families now depend on expensive water trucking to meet their daily needs.

In Ain Ebel, the village’s primary borehole is no longer functioning, further exacerbating water scarcity. In Rmeich, only one of two boreholes remains operational, while damaged equipment threatens the continuity of supply. Communities repeatedly expressed their fears that access to water could deteriorate even further if repairs cannot be carried out safely.

“The destruction and disruption of water infrastructure have had serious consequences for civilians. Families are paying increasingly high costs to secure water, while vulnerable groups—including displaced people, elderly, and refugees—face additional barriers to meeting their basic needs,” says Yara Thebian, Deputy Project Coordinator.

Beyond water, MSF teams identified growing humanitarian concerns linked to limited healthcare access, increasing mental health needs, rising living costs, and deteriorating living conditions. Communities reported high levels of anxiety and stress after months of insecurity and isolation, while local health structures continue to operate under significant constraints.

Access to emergency and hospital care remains a critical concern. The three villages rely largely on local primary healthcare services, while access to secondary and tertiary care is severely restricted by movement controls. Patients requiring urgent hospitalization or specialist care have faced delays of up to 72 hours or more while awaiting authorization for medical referrals. Local healthcare workers reported cases in which delayed transfers had life-threatening consequences, underscoring the urgent need for timely access to emergency medical care and functioning referral pathways.

 MSF distributed hygiene kits, flour, diapers, dignity items, and other essential relief supplies to vulnerable households. Medical and first-aid materials were provided to local health facilities and emergency responders to strengthen their ability to respond to community needs.

During the visit, MSF teams conducted health, environmental health, and community assessments across the three villages to better understand existing needs and identify priorities for support. The findings highlight the devastating humanitarian consequences of attacks and restrictions that have affected civilian infrastructure and essential services. Access to water, healthcare, and humanitarian assistance remains a critical concern for communities living along Lebanon’s southern border.

For the people of Rmeich, Debel, and Ain Ebel, who remain trapped by conflict and movement restrictions, access to water and emergency medical care is a matter of survival. Delays in accessing these essential services can have life-threatening consequences.

“Since the morning of 19 June, 25 killed and 37 wounded have been brought into Najdeh Al-Shaabiyeh Hospital, many in critical condition. Our team is responding to an influx of patients of all ages, including paramedics wounded during rescue missions. People are arriving with severe head injuries, heavy bleeding, shrapnel injuries and in need of amputations, while others are suspected to be trapped under rubble as bombardment continues.

Just yesterday, 18 June, our teams witnessed people returning to their towns in Nabatiyeh governorate and searching through the rubble of their destroyed homes. They had gone back in the hopes that it might finally be safe. Instead, many are now once again trapped under bombardment.

Meanwhile, some search-and-rescue and ambulance teams MSF supports and works closely with are unable to reach some of the wounded or evacuate some of civilians because moving through the area is simply too dangerous, and because responders have repeatedly been put at risk of coming under Israeli fire while doing their job.

The ongoing situation in Nabatiyeh is devastating. What our teams are describing resembles a death trap. People are caught under heavy shelling, while rescue teams are unable to safely reach them. Civilians and first responders must be protected, and unhindered access for rescue teams is urgently needed.”

Pierre Boulet-Desbareau
MSF Emergency Coordinator in Lebanon