Social Minister Announces Aid for 130,000 Families in Nabatiyeh

Social Affairs Minister Hanin Al-Sayed toured the Nabatiyeh area to assess conditions and meet with local figures following the recent Israeli aggression.

Her first stop was at the temporary Nabatiyeh municipality hall, where she held an extensive meeting with heads of municipal unions and mayors, attended by MPs Hani Qabbaisi and Nasser Jaber. The discussion focused on the situation in Nabatiyeh and its municipalities amid the destruction caused by the Israeli attacks to official institutions, commercial establishments, residential buildings, homes, and infrastructure.

Accompanied by MP Nasser Jaber, Nabatiyeh Mayor Abbas Fakhr Al-Din, and Saad Al-Zein, head of the Al-Zein Association in Lebanon, Al-Sayed toured the commercial market in Nabatiyeh, which was devastated by Israeli airstrikes, reviewing the extent of the damage sustained.

Following the visit to the damaged market, she stated, "I am proud to be today in the south and in the city of Nabatiyeh, a region resilient in the face of all challenges it has faced during the recent war and before it. We are here to support the people throughout the south, not only through the Ministry of Social Affairs but all ministries will be present. The President and the Prime Minister are monitoring this matter, and the government is working on a plan, a recovery plan, and a reconstruction plan. Details of these plans will be announced soon."

Minister Al-Sayed also visited the home of the Mufti and Imam of Nabatiyeh, Sheikh Abdul Hussein Sadiq, in the presence of various dignitaries and local figures.

Sheikh Sadiq welcomed the minister and her delegation, saying, "This city, with its wounds and the piles of rubble weighing on it, expresses its thanks and appreciation for this visit, which joins other officials' visits as part of serious efforts to restore life to this city and all southern towns. We can only appreciate, respect, and value the efforts you and the ministry have exerted to accommodate displaced persons' delegations and groups to the capital and other areas and to provide urgent daily services."

Al-Sayed thanked Sheikh Sadiq for his hospitality and said, "Today we are in Nabatiyeh to support the sustainable return of residents, which requires a sustained ceasefire. This is what the President and the Prime Minister are working on daily. The return of displaced persons is ongoing and is a positive indicator. We want every displaced person to return to their home, or to an alternative or temporary residence, or to a shelter center. We are implementing a displacement and return plan that includes several elements, foremost of which is providing ready homes for citizens in cooperation with the relevant municipalities in their towns, as well as designating temporary shelter centers. We will work with municipalities to identify centers where stays may last a year or more."

She continued, "Regarding cash assistance, it continues through the ministry, either via the Aman program, which is a national program covering the south, Nabatiyeh, and all regions, and we are working to expand it. We have re-evaluated the program; some families had to leave after three years, but the goal is to include other families. Fifty thousand new families will be added to the Aman program. At the same time, we use another emergency cash assistance program dedicated to displaced citizens and those who remained in their towns. Today, 130,000 families will benefit from this program, which is separate from Aman and independent. Payments will be made on the 3rd of the month; the first installment has been paid. In Nabatiyeh and its district, 29,000 families will benefit from the program."

She also announced plans to restore the Social Affairs center in Nabatiyeh, which was destroyed in the attacks, stating that funds are available and that social and humanitarian services provided by the ministry will be resumed there.

Expressing sorrow over the destruction witnessed in the market, she noted the signs of life returning to some shops and pledged specific assistance to those affected. She emphasized that "there is a large reconstruction plan, which is the government's plan, and we are seeking to secure financial support from friendly and sister countries, which the Prime Minister is pursuing."