Lebanese Women in Southern Border Regions Struggle on Mother’s Day Amid Conflict Escalation

Amid escalating conflict between Hezbollah and Israel along Lebanon‘s southern border, Mother’s Day carries a somber tone for many Lebanese women.

Dalal Daher, a 60-year-old from Bint Jbeil in the Nabatieh Governorate, mourns the recent loss of her son in an Israeli raid, shifting her Mother’s Day focus to grief rather than celebration.

Since October 8 last year, over 300 lives have been lost, with countless more injured in the conflict that has displaced around 83,000 individuals, half of whom are women and children, according to the Lebanese Prime Minister’s Disaster Management Unit.

Meanwhile, in Nabatieh, the province’s capital, Fatima Fahs, known for her festive Mother’s Day gatherings, grapples with the tragic loss of a close friend and seven family members in an Israeli airstrike that destroyed a nearby building.

As Lebanon battles economic hardships, with an 80 percent poverty rate and rising unemployment, the war’s impact is evident in daily life. Samer Al-Laqis, a local gift shop owner, notes a 60 percent decline in Mother’s Day sales due to the war’s toll on the economy and reduced consumer spending power.