Mount Lebanon Governorate

Mount Lebanon Governorate exhibits complex territorial stratification, encompassing both the wealthy mountain communities that historically provided Lebanon's political and commercial elite and the densely populated southern suburbs (Dahiyeh) that serve as Hezbollah's organizational center. This demographic heterogeneity creates internal governance fragmentation—different territorial zones operating under effectively different political authorities despite nominal administrative unity.

The governorate's southern suburbs suffered severe damage in the 2024 conflict, representing the third-most impacted area after South and Nabatiyeh governorates. Physical infrastructure destruction compounds the economic crisis, with estimated damages contributing to Lebanon's $8.5 billion total conflict cost. The concentration of population in areas adjacent to conflict zones created mass displacement dynamics—organisms fleeing damaged habitat to crowd remaining functional territory.

Mount Lebanon's mountain communities demonstrate relative refuge dynamics. Higher-altitude areas with Christian-majority populations experienced less direct conflict impact, though economic spillovers affect all territory. This uneven damage distribution reinforces sectarian geographic patterns that have shaped Lebanese politics since the civil war—conflict repeatedly sorting populations into territorially concentrated communities. The governorate's heterogeneity makes unified recovery planning exceptionally difficult.