BEIRUT, March 21 (Xinhua) -- In the Arab world, Mother's Day is celebrated on March 21. Yet, for many Lebanese women entangled in the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel along Lebanon's southern border, the day is tinged with sorrow.
For Dalal Daher, a 60-year-old resident of Bint Jbeil, a town in the Nabatieh Governorate in southern Lebanon, this Mother's Day is marked by loss rather than celebration, as she mourns her son who perished in an Israeli raid approximately two months prior.
"How can I celebrate when my only son was killed before my eyes?" Daher lamented, tears in her eyes.
Since Oct. 8 last year, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 300 individuals and left hundreds more wounded. The military engagements have led to the displacement of roughly 83,000 people, half of whom are women and children, as reported by the Lebanese Prime Minister's Disaster Management Unit.
In Nabatieh, the capital of the namesake province, Fatima Fahs, a woman in her fifties, traditionally hosts a festive gathering for her neighbors on Mother's Day.
However, the recent destruction of a nearby building in an Israeli air strike, which resulted in the death of her close friend and seven family members, has cast a shadow over this year's observance.
"Death has taken my dear friend and her family. We cannot enjoy this day together anymore," said Fatima, pointing to a collapsed building next to her house, where her friend used to live.
In addition to the conflict, the economic downturn in Lebanon, characterized by an 80 percent poverty rate and escalating unemployment, has dampened the spirits of many.
Samer Al-Laqis, a local gift shop owner, noted a significant decline in gift purchases for the occasion, attributing a 60 percent drop in sales to the war's impact on the economy and the consequent reduction in consumer purchasing power. ■
