BACKGROUND
The post-occupied region of South Lebanon has around 70,000 inhabitants*, or 22% of the total inhabitants of South Lebanon (excluding the population increase during summer). A quarter of the households have a monthly income of less than $300 and an average family of 4.8 persons. Poverty in the region is increased by social problems directly related to the years of conflict.
Compared to other regions, the post-occupied region of South Lebanon is inhabited by a young population. For example, 45% of the population in the Cazas of Tyre and Bint-Jbeil are under 19. Illiteracy and unemployment rates are significantly higher than the national average and there are disproportionate numbers of orphans, disabled, and ex-prisoners. Female-headed households make up about 18.5% to 21%, compared to a national average of 14%.
The communities of the post-occupied regions of South Lebanon face many challenges, not the least significant of which are IT related. Although efforts are being made to improve the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) infrastructure, there are still significant unmet needs, especially in remote areas where accessibility is rather difficult. There is also a scarcity of accredited technical institutions available to provide training and certification for those who seek it.
Israel’s war against Lebanon has left a trail of unimaginable destruction and immense destitution. Israeli air strikes have reduced numerous villages in Southern Lebanon to rubble. All economic sectors have been crippled: manufacturing facilities were targeted heavily by both bombing campaigns as well as suffocating air, land, and sea blockades. Certain sectors and areas of the country were subjected to more severe damage than others. As a result, while unemployment ranged between 10 and 12% prior to the war, it has multiplied in most sectors and regions. Agriculture was affected severely since most harvested crops were either burned or left unharvested. The tourism industry, a crucial sector of the economy generating huge foreign reserves and capital inflow into the country, has come to a complete standstill.
The areas hit during the war were already the most impoverished in the country. The juxtaposition of the geography of poverty and the geography of destruction necessitates special reconstruction programs aimed at building local capacities for poverty alleviation and employment creation.
* Institute of Urban Planning of the Region of Ile-de-France (IAUIF): Regional Socio-Economic Development Programme for South Lebanon. A report prepared for the High Relief Committee (the Lebanese Republic) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme. Beirut 1999.
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BACKGROUND
