The recent conflict in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, which further escalated significantly in late 2024, has left a trail of devastation. Thousands have lost their lives, countless areas have been reduced to rubble, and critical infrastructure has been shattered. At the height of the crisis, about 1.3 million people were internally displaced. The sheer scale of destruction has resulted in millions of tons of debris, posing both immediate hazards and long-term recovery challenges. Amid this destruction, the United Nations has mobilized a ‘UN Debris Taskforce’, to coordinate a sustainable and human rights-based approach to debris management. The Task Force aims to ensure a safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible recovery while safeguarding affected communities’ rights to housing, health, and a safe environment. War Debris: An Opportunity for Lebanon’s Recovery The unprecedented destruction has transformed once-thriving neighborhoods into hazardous zones. Families returning to their homes face significant risks from unexploded ordnance (UXOs), environmental contaminants, and structurally compromised buildings. Additionally, schools and some of Lebanon’s cultural heritage sites now lie in ruins.  Structural collapses and the mixing of domestic waste with debris have exacerbated health and environmental hazards, creating an urgent need for intervention.“The environmental and safety challenges are immense,” said Mrs. Jihan Seoud, an expert from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with extensive experience in debris management. “But with the right strategies and collaboration, we can turn this crisis into an opportunity for sustainable recovery.”A structured approach to debris management prioritizes recycling and reuse, reducing the demand for new construction materials while promoting a circular economy. This also creates socio-economic opportunities, enabling communities to participate actively in rebuilding efforts.Mr. Hassan Dbouk, Mayor of Tyre and Head of the Tyre Union of Municipalities, highlighted the importance of swift action. “Proper damage assessment is essential to map and categorize targeted buildings, estimate the volume of debris, and create a transport plan to ensure smooth collection and disposal.” He stressed that recycling materials like steel and aluminum must be prioritized to reduce reliance on raw resources and promote sustainability.Dbouk’s insight underscores the need to prioritize debris management as a cornerstone of recovery efforts. For Lebanon’s recovery to be effective, the government must play a central role in leading and coordinating debris management efforts, working alongside municipalities, international organizations, and affected communities. This includes defining ownership of debris, streamlining legal procedures, and identifying processing and disposal sites. Engaging local communities and returnees in rebuilding efforts ensures a more inclusive and impactful recovery process. Public awareness campaigns are critical, not only to prevent accidents involving unexploded ordnance (UXOs), hazardous materials, or structural building cracks, but also to engage and empower citizens in the recovery process. To address these risks, the UN partnered with the Lebanese Armed Forces to launch an awareness campaign on the dangers of UXOs. Additionally, it collaborated with the Ministry of Culture to launch a campaign aimed at preserving and protecting debris in heritage sites.Furthermore, by assessing debris for recyclables and hazardous content, and encouraging the reuse of materials in rehabilitation and reconstruction, Lebanon can reduce its reliance on new resources while addressing environmental threats. Accordingly, the UN, through its specialized agencies, has stepped in by undertaking a ‘Rapid Impact Assessment’ grounded in local voices, providing data from 135 areas in the post-war period across health, education, business and more, and calling for immediate action toward a people-centered recovery in the affected areas. It also conducted remote building damage assessments in the South, Nabatiyeh, Bekaa, and Baalbek-Hermel governorates and the southern suburbs of Beirut (spanning parts of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon governorates), covering 15 districts.    Picking up the Pieces: The challenging return of citizens    In the city of Nabatiyeh, the return of displaced residents is both hopeful and challenging. Streets once filled with bustling life now stand in ruins, and families returning home must navigate the overwhelming task of rebuilding from the rubble. It was a painful homecoming, marked by loss but also by a strong determination to start again, to rebuild, to simply survive.“After we entered our destroyed building to collect a few belongings, we gathered old family pictures that were still intact,” shared a displaced resident returning to his city Nabatiyeh. “We couldn’t afford to clear the rubble ourselves, so we asked a local contractor to remove the debris in exchange for salvaging any steel and recyclables.”This approach, while practical to avoid high costs of removal and transportation fees, often means that valuable materials for reconstruction are lost, and unregulated removal can create additional environmental and safety risks. Ensuring a structured, government-led debris management strategy is essential to prevent these hazards.  The UN Debris Taskforce: Initiating a Joint Sustainable Framework  At the core of UN Lebanon’s post-conflict efforts is the UN Debris Taskforce (DTF), which has developed a comprehensive framework to guide debris management in the aftermath of the conflict. The DTF is composed of ten UN entities (UN-Habitat, UNEP, UNDP, ILO, OCHA, UNMAS, UNESCO, IOM, FAO, and UNOPS) working collaboratively to ensure that debris removal is safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible while ensuring that affected populations actively participate in the recovery process.“Our goal is not just to help clear debris in the most effective ways, but to do so in a way that safeguards the environment and public health,” explained Imran Riza, the UN Resident Coordinator in Lebanon. “We are committed to promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly practices that support long-term recovery and resilience.”   Elie Mansour, an UN-Habitat expert, underscored the importance of health and safety in such initiative. “Effective debris management begins with inspecting the debris for unexploded ordnance or other contaminants,” he said. “If sorting or recycling can’t occur on-site, debris should be safely transported to designated processing locations. Recycling must be prioritized to recover materials for reconstruction.”The Task Force is also leveraging international methodologies to estimate debris volume, enabling effective planning for removal, recycling and disposal in environmentally approved sites, such as abandoned quarries, to prevent further degradation of Lebanon’s landscapes. Partnerships for Recovery A successful recovery depends on collaboration between multiple stakeholders, which the UN is working closely with the Government, including the Ministries of Environment, Public Works, Health, and Culture, along with local municipalities and unions, are the main actors in shaping and implementing a sustainable debris management strategy.The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Lebanese Mine Action Center (LMAC) also play a crucial role in risk assessments and UXO clearance, working closely with municipalities to address the dangers posed by explosive remnants of war. Additionally, academic institutions provide the technical expertise in debris quantification and management.Meanwhile, the private sector, particularly the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, also plays a pivotal role. Through public-private partnerships, they are introducing innovative recycling technologies and sustainable practices that create jobs and reduce waste.“We see this as an opportunity to build back better and greener,” said a spokesperson from the Association of Lebanese Industrialists. “Our circular economy initiatives can transform debris into reusable construction materials, fostering economic growth and reducing pollution.”Ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, and social protections for debris removal workers remains a key priority for the UN. These principles remain central to the UN’s advocacy efforts with the Government and other partners, reinforcing a recovery process built on fairness, safety, and dignity.   A Vision for Lebanon’s Future: A Rights-based and Sustainable RecoveryLebanon’s path to recovery is long, but with coordinated efforts from the government, UN, local stakeholders, and international partners, a sustainable future is within reach. By prioritizing sustainable debris management practices, cultural and environmental preservation, and a human rights-based approach, Lebanon can build a stronger, more prosperous future. “This crisis has tested us all,” said Riza. “But it has also shown us the strength of collective action and the power of the coordinated efforts of the UN and its partners, especially the government.” As Lebanon takes its first steps toward recovery, the hope is that these efforts will not only restore what has been lost but also lay the foundation for a brighter, more sustainable future.    

“Dina was exceptional in every way—passionate about everything she did, and everything she did came from the heart. Her work with the United Nations was a mission to serve others.”This is how Mrs. Ghada Darwish described her daughter Dina—her colleague at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), who was killed during the Israel-Hezbollah war in 2024 in Lebanon.Dina Darwish worked with UNHCR for 12 years at the Bekaa office. She and her youngest son were killed when the residential building where she lived with her husband and two children was hit by an Israeli missile on September 23 of last year.In an interview with UN News, Mrs. Ghada Darwish said: “The greatest pain you can ever feel is losing your own child. No matter how much you try to adapt to the idea of loss, the pain remains immense.” It is difficult to sum up a child’s life in just a few minutes, but Mrs. Ghada tried her best to stay composed to speak about her own child, Dina. Despite being unable to hold back her tears, she insisted on talking because her ultimate goal is “not to forget Dina—she wants her to remain close to hearts, minds, and memories.”“Dina was exceptional in every way, passionate about everything she did. Everything she did was from the heart, from her studies to university and her work. She never settled for half-measures—she was a true professional.”Mrs. Darwish said that Dina always wanted her voice to be heard in her work so she could change the world and help as many people as possible. Thanks to her specialization in social sciences, she worked against gender-based violence and protected children, especially during her tenure with UNHCR.Throughout her career, she helped many families, children, and women by relocating them to safer and more peaceful environments—away from the conflict, displacement, violence, and poverty they had endured.Mrs. Ghada Darwish also spoke about Dina’s friendships and her impact on the community. “In her work, she built strong friendships with many of her colleagues. She made everyone feel special and unique. But tragically, she fell victim to violence—violence she had no part in and no connection to. What happened was a great injustice.” The violence also claimed the life of Dina’s four-year-old son, Jad, who was described by his grandmother as “a special child whose smile never left his face. He was curious, full of life and energy. Everyone who knew Jad fell in love with him—his eyes sparkled, and he gave so much love and warmth.”Ghada continued the conversation, trying to explain how living in a conflict zone or war-torn area is incredibly difficult—especially for mothers who must protect and reassure their children while raising them with love for their homeland and instilling good values in their daily lives.“I always supported the idea that love for one’s country should be in our hearts. I always hoped for a better tomorrow and believed, as a woman and a mother, that I should instill that hope in my children so they could continue this journey, dream, and strive for a better future. I never imagined that we would reach this point in our country.”On International Women’s Day, Ghada’s message to women around the world—especially those who have lost loved ones in war—is one of solidarity, strength, and hope.“We must not despair; we must not stop. This loss should not halt our lives. We must be beacons of resilience. The world sees itself through us, and that’s why we must hold on to courage and keep fighting for our families.”She concluded her speech by saying: “Despite the pain we feel, we must transform this pain into love and struggle to stop wars around the world. To every woman out there: You are strong, you are important, you are the backbone of your family, and you are its pillar of support.”The two-month conflict in 2024 in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel resulted in the deaths of more than 4,000 people, with at least 16,600 others injured, and led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands amid widespread damage to infrastructure.  The interview was conducted by Mrs. Rana Sarkis, and the story was initially published in Arabic by UN News. 

 The Lebanese Council to Resist Violence Against Woman, or LECORVAW, is a non-governmental organization working with UNFPA support to combat gender-based violence. Aya is an 18-year-old Lebanese woman living with hemiplegia, a condition caused by brain damage or spinal cord injury that leads to paralysis on one side of the body. Aya is determined to prove that with dedication and resilience, anything is possible. As a person with a disability, Aya faced significant barriers in finding employment opportunities. Despite her qualifications and determination, employers often overlooked her potential due to misconceptions about her capabilities. She was also at heightened risk of exploitation and gender-based violence.Aya attended one of LECORVAW’s awareness-raising sessions on gender-based violence at the Rahma for Special Needs centre and enrolled in a LECORVAW skills-building class.Aya also attended a UNFPA-funded project at Rahma Medical Centre. There, she discovered her passion for soap-making. Her condition meant that she was initially unable to participate fully in the sessions. But with enthusiasm and determination, she succeeded in learning how to create beautiful fragrant soaps.Aya has started her own business selling handmade soaps. Starting her own business not only provided her with a source of income but also gave her a sense of empowerment. Her business served as a crucial means of safeguarding herself against potential gender-based violence. By establishing her own business and becoming financially independent, Aya gained a sense of autonomy and control over life that significantly reduced her exposure to such threats.At the end of the session, Aya asked to be included in LECORVAW's skills-building activities. She wants her success to inspire others to overcome their obstacles like she overcame hers: she has been sharing her knowledge and experience to empower those around her, especially her coursemates in the Rahma Centre.

The series is the brainchild of Denise Jabbour and Muriel Aboulrouss. Before 2019, the cultural and creative industries were one of the most dynamic sectors of the economy of Lebanon. In 2019 it was estimated that they accounted for 4.75 per cent of the country’s GDP and employed 4.5 per cent of its official labour force. This figure rises to 20 per cent if the informal workforce is taken into account. The multifaced crisis facing Lebanon in the past four years has created huge difficulties for the cultural and creative industries. In the absence of opportunities and social protection, artists and cultural professionals have found themselves in difficult circumstances. Denise and Muriel were not immune to the crisis. “At the beginning of 2023, we had made the decision not to produce a new season”, says Denise. “Then the BERYT project came to our rescue.” The BERYT project supports proposals aimed at promoting and reviving culture and the arts. The project is led by UN-Habitat Lebanon. It receives funding from the Lebanon Financing Facility, administered by the World Bank. UNESCO is responsible for implementing the programme in connection with the cultural and creative industries. BERYT provides emergency grant assistance to artists and cultural practitioners in difficulty. Under the initial call for proposals, 93 grants were awarded; in 2024, there will be a second call, extending aid to vulnerable practitioners. This signals ongoing support for Beirut’s cultural revival. The BERYT project has given the Zyara team renewed dedication to continue their creative journey and embark on a new season. “The Lebanese community is a rich source of heartfelt narratives”, says Denise. “We’re confident that life will support us in overcoming any challenge, and we’re dedicated to safeguarding our nation and upholding our cultural identity.”