Minister Hanin Al-Sayyed Discusses Rent Subsidy Plans to Aid Displaced Persons in Tyre

Minister of Social Affairs Hanin Al-Sayyed began her visit to the city of Tyre with a meeting at the Union of Municipalities of Tyre District. The gathering included MP Inaya Ezzeddine, Amal Movement's organizational official in Jabal Amel Ali Ismail, Union President Hassan Dabouk, Vice President Adel Saad, Deputy Mayor Alwan Sharafeddine, Director of the Tyre Office at the South Council Hassan Hani, Disaster Management Unit Director Murtada Mohanna, and several mayors.

The meeting opened with welcoming remarks from Union President Hassan Dabouk, followed by a detailed statistical presentation from Disaster Management Unit Director Murtada Mohanna on the number of displaced persons during the Israeli aggression period and the current phase, as well as the assistance provided to displaced people both inside and outside shelter centers.

Minister Al-Sayyed delivered a speech affirming that "the ceasefire remains fragile, yet the south has begun to witness the return of some displaced persons." She emphasized that "the purpose of the visit is to conduct a field assessment of the situation and listen to the challenges, as part of preparing the plan for return, recovery, and reconstruction."

She explained that "the plan includes several components requiring funding," noting that "the state's financial capacity is limited, so an appeal will be directed to the international community to secure the necessary funds and promptly start project implementation, alongside providing urgent aid to those affected once additional funding is secured."

Al-Sayyed added that "approximately 400,000 displaced individuals have returned to their areas, while a large number remain unable to return due to destruction or inaccessibility of their homes." She highlighted ongoing efforts "to provide rent subsidies to assist as many displaced persons as possible."

She also stated that "the ministry is studying a mechanism to assist owners of homes with minor damage by offering amounts that enable them to carry out necessary repairs and return to their residences, in addition to working on securing ready housing near their towns as one intervention pathway."

Regarding infrastructure rehabilitation, she pointed out that "the South Council is responsible for restoring basic infrastructure, including debris removal and reopening main roads, with work already underway." She also noted that "the Minister of Telecommunications is working to restore communication and internet services to affected areas, and the government, through all its ministries, is focused on the upcoming phase."

Concerning social support programs, the minister clarified that "the ministry continues to implement the 'Aman' program. It had to reassess beneficiary families, removing some to include about 50,000 new families." She announced "plans to launch a second phase of emergency cash assistance for displaced persons and those remaining, benefiting approximately 130,000 families, including 41,000 families in Tyre District."

Al-Sayyed mentioned that "the ministry is searching for an alternative location for the Social Affairs Center in Tyre," expressing hope to establish a center in cooperation with Tyre Municipality and confirming "the ministry's readiness in terms of equipment."

She added that "work is ongoing to inspect damaged Social Affairs centers in Tyre District in preparation for their reopening as soon as possible," assuring that "the ministry will continue to support displaced persons in shelter centers and work on consolidating them into designated centers, allowing the evacuation of some centers in preparation for their reopening at the start of the school year in September."

The minister also indicated that "the government, in cooperation with the Minister of Economy, is preparing a program to support small and medium enterprises to help them resume their activities."

She concluded by affirming that "all state agencies are mobilized for the next phase to ensure decent living conditions and achieve recovery."

Tyre Municipality President stated that "municipalities and their leaders bear significant responsibility amid scarce resources and capabilities," noting that "the extent of pain and suffering following the war was substantial, but with everyone’s combined efforts, citizens' hardships can be alleviated."

During the meeting, Ali Ismail addressed the difficulties faced by southern residents, urging the minister to provide all possible assistance to displaced persons, especially those from border villages whose homes were destroyed.

Following the meeting, Minister Al-Sayyed and her accompanying delegation toured the Disaster Management Unit's operations room, where she was briefed by Director Murtada Mohanna on the unit’s work managing displaced persons' affairs.

The session included interventions from mayors and a discussion with Minister Al-Sayyed regarding the Aman program and other services intended for eligible citizens.