Destruction in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam due to Israeli attacks, 24 hours after the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, Nov. 28, 2024. Photo AFP
Around 4,000 Lebanese who fled the war in Lebanon to Iraq at the invitation of the Shrine of Imam Hussein in Karbala — a significant Shiite pilgrimage site — have expressed their intention to return home. They have registered on lists prepared for this purpose, according to Abdel Amir Moutawri, the Shrine's head of public relations, cited by Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA).
The Iraqi Migration and Displaced Persons Ministry will oversee the process. Moutawri noted that registration began after a cease-fire took effect in Lebanon on Nov. 27. In recent days, approximately 4,000 individuals have signed up for repatriation.
Iraq had hosted nearly 10,000 displaced Lebanese, primarily from the Shiite community, according to figures cited by local newspaper An-Nahar on Oct. 20. Many fled after Israel intensified its offensive in Lebanon on Sept. 23, adding to the hundreds of thousands displaced by strikes on southern Lebanon, Beirut's southern suburbs and the Bekaa Valley. Some of the wounded in the war were transported to Iraq for treatment. Lebanon’s entry into Iraq was facilitated by free visas and other support measures, particularly under the auspices of Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Iraq's highest Shiite authority. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani described the displaced as "guests," not refugees.
Return via Syria 'ruled out'
"We are not forcing anyone to leave; our doors remain open," Moutawri said, adding that more people continue to register for return. A meeting at the Iraqi Prime Minister's office with various ministries and entities established a "repatriation strategy" involving air travel, as recent events in Syria have ruled out land routes, stated Moutawri alluding to the rapid capture of Aleppo by rebels and jihadists as a factor in this decision.
Returns to Lebanon will be organized in groups, based on flight availability and with priority given to those who lost loved ones yet to be buried, the sick, the wounded, the elderly, and civil servants. Moutawri added that the shrine might also register displaced individuals in other parts of Iraq.
Aid for displaced persons in Iraq had been made possible by donations from Shiites around the world and from businessmen in Africa and India.
Aid for displaced persons in Iraq was made possible through donations worldwide and contributions from businessmen, specifically those in Africa and India.
Meanwhile, thousands of Lebanese who fled to Syria are also preparing to return. The reopening of the Qaa border crossing, repeatedly bombed since Oct. 25, has enabled these returns, expected to begin on Sunday.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient Le-Jour.