Israeli attacks and mass evacuations have disrupted peaceful forms of worship for Muslim families in Lebanon, according to an aid worker, as many try to celebrate the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, during which people abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk.
Palestinian refugees housed in a makeshift shelter in the town of Sebline, southern Lebanon, including pregnant women and new mothers, spoke of “fear,” “confusion” and “panic,” according to a midwife who works there with the British NGO Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).
“Some women told us that they were preparing for suhoor (the meal taken before dawn and the beginning of the fast) when the alarm sirens sounded, forcing them to leave immediately,” stated Ola, the midwife, in a testimony shared with CNN by MAP.
“They didn’t have time to take anything,” he added. “Others said they were preparing for iftar (the breaking of the fast at sunset) when there was a bombing nearby.”
The Israeli military campaign in Lebanon has killed hundreds of people, caused massive displacement, strained the health system and worsened the country’s economic crisis.
Many people have tried to seek protection in makeshift shelters, mosques, community centers and unfinished buildings, according to the UN. At least 773 people have lost their lives since March 2, including 103 children, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Further south, in the Burj Shemali refugee camp, an anonymous Palestinian mother warned that “rising prices make it increasingly difficult to afford food.” “We fast during Ramadan as we struggle to meet our basic needs,” he said, in a testimony shared with CNN by MAP.