More than 800,000 displaced Lebanese have begun returning home, says UN

By AFP 5 August 2026, 9:59 am

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Mahasen Faqih and her husband, Mohammed Sobeih, smile as they sit amid the rubble of their home after returning to it following a ceasefire in Zawtar al-Gharbieh, Lebanon, July 28, 2026. (AP/Hassan Ammar)

More than 800,000 people displaced by war in Lebanon have begun returning to their hometowns following a lull in violence amid the Israel-Hezbollah war, the United Nations says.

The announcement comes as Lebanon and Israel began a new round of US-sponsored talks in Rome aimed at ending the fighting, which are scheduled to run until tomorrow.

UN humanitarian agency OCHA says “821,077 people had begun the return to their areas of origin as of 30 July,” but adds that more than 360,000 remained displaced, around 26,000 of them in government shelters.

The OCHA says damage to water and electricity infrastructure from the war has severely affected access to water for more than 700,000 people in south Lebanon, home for most of those displaced by the war.