The southern suburbs of Beirut, known as Dahiyeh, are once again facing the immense challenge of rebuilding after conflict, a situation strikingly different from the recovery following the 2006 war with Israel. This reality is the focus of a recent article, “Repair Amid Ongoing Ruination–Rebuilding Dahiyeh Once More,” by Iman Ali, a doctoral candidate in anthropology at Cornell University, and the subject of a recent discussion on The MERIP Podcast, Episode 16. The podcast, recorded on February 25, 2026, delves into the material and political obstacles confronting Lebanon’s Shi’i community as they navigate near-daily Israeli drone and missile attacks since the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, following the larger conflict in the fall of 2024.
Ali’s research, conducted through fieldwork in Lebanon, examines how everyday life persists under precarious conditions. The current rebuilding efforts in Dahiyeh stand in stark contrast to the post-2006 reconstruction, which benefited from substantial funding from regional and global partners and was spearheaded by Hizballah’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. Today, financial support is scarce, Hizballah’s leadership faces new challenges, and the threat of renewed Israeli aggression looms large, creating a significantly more difficult environment for recovery. The podcast conversation, co-hosted by MERIP’s executive director James Ryan and Najib Hourani, an associate professor of anthropology and global urban studies at Michigan State University, explores these complexities and the historical context shaping the present situation.
A History of Reconstruction and Ruin
The challenges facing Dahiyeh are not new. Ali’s work places the current struggles within a broader history of Israeli invasions, occupations, and wars in Lebanon. Understanding this history is crucial to grasping the resilience and the burdens borne by the Shi’i communities in South Lebanon. The podcast discussion highlights how the experience of rebuilding after 2006, while successful in many ways, has fundamentally altered the landscape for current reconstruction efforts. The availability of funding and the strength of leadership that characterized the earlier recovery are no longer present, creating a sense of uncertainty and vulnerability.
The Shifting Landscape of Support
A key difference between the rebuilding efforts after the 2006 war and the current situation is the lack of consistent financial support. Following the 2006 conflict, Hizballah was able to secure funding from various sources to rebuild the neighborhoods of Dahiyeh. Ali’s article and the podcast discussion emphasize that this financial lifeline is not currently available. This lack of funding, coupled with the perceived decimation of Hizballah’s leadership, presents a significant obstacle to reconstruction. The spectre of continued or renewed Israeli aggression further complicates the situation, discouraging investment and hindering long-term planning.
The Burden of Resistance
The podcast conversation also addresses the intense burden that resistance to Israeli aggression has placed on Lebanon’s Shi’i communities. This resistance, while a source of pride and identity, comes at a significant cost, both materially and emotionally. The ongoing attacks and the constant threat of escalation create a climate of fear and instability, making it difficult for residents to rebuild their lives and communities. Ali’s research sheds light on the everyday realities of living under these conditions, highlighting the resilience and resourcefulness of the people of Dahiyeh.
The podcast draws on Ali’s published work, available to read in full: “Repair Amid Ongoing Ruination–Rebuilding Dahiyeh Once More” in the Winter 2025 issue of Middle East Report 317, part of the “Reconstruction and Ruin” series.
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Further Reading on the Region
Listeners interested in learning more about the context surrounding the rebuilding of Dahiyeh and the challenges facing Lebanon can explore a range of resources. Hiba Bou Akar’s 2019 article, “Urban Interventions for the Wars Yet to Come”, offers insights into urban planning in conflict zones. Scholarly works such as Tamara Chalabi’s The Shi ‘is of Jabal ‘Amil and the New Lebanon: Community and Nation-State (Springer, 2006), Lara Deeb’s An enchanted modern: Gender and public piety in Shi’i Lebanon (Princeton University Press, 2006), and the analyses by Mona Fawaz (“Hezbollah as urban planner? Questions to and from planning theory”, Planning Theory, 2009) and Mona Harb and Lara Deeb (“Culture as history and landscape: Hizballah’s efforts to shape an Islamic milieu in Lebanon”, Arab Studies Journal, 2011) provide deeper historical and sociological context. More recent dispatches, like Munira Khayyat’s “Dispatch from South Lebanon—Life as Resistance at the End of the World” (Middle East Report, Winter 2024), offer contemporary perspectives on life in South Lebanon.
As the situation in Lebanon remains volatile, the challenges of rebuilding Dahiyeh are likely to persist. The next steps will depend on a complex interplay of political, economic, and security factors. Continued monitoring of the situation and support for local initiatives will be crucial in helping the community navigate these difficult times.
What are your thoughts on the challenges facing Dahiyeh? Share your comments below and share this article with others interested in understanding the complexities of reconstruction in conflict zones.
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