Lebanon faces its worst crisis since the end of the civil war

THE PUBLIC squares and beaches of Beirut are crammed with people who have been displaced from the south of Lebanon and the city’s southern suburbs. The lucky ones have mattresses and blankets to sleep on. Thousands of shocked families have been camped out since the night of September 27th; following the Israeli strike that killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hizbullah, the Israeli army warned it would launch further attacks on Beirut. The southern suburbs, known as bastions of support for the Shia group, emptied within hours as people headed to seek safety in other parts of the capital and beyond.