'It's family': Lebanese villagers dread looming UN peacekeeper pullout

AI Summary

Residents of Ibl al-Saqi in southern Lebanon fear the disruption that will follow the planned withdrawal of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon next year. Villagers describe the peacekeepers as closely integrated into community life after decades in the area.

From his shop in south Lebanon near the Israeli border, Mark Diab says life in his village will be turned upside down when a decades-long United Nations peacekeeping force pulls out next year. "UNIFIL isn't just business, to us it's family," said Diab, 59, whose sister is among residents of Ibl al-Saqi who have married peacekeepers from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon over the years. She now lives in Spain.