The dusty corridors, broken windows and locked doors of an apartment block in central Beirut are evidence of Lebanon’s ongoing economic disaster.

But this remnant of a crisis has been repurposed for the last time.

Hundreds of people fleeing the Israeli bombardment in the south of the country came here and took over the building.

They cleared the rooms of garbage and installed water, electricity and bare bulbs for lighting.

But refugees here face not only difficult living conditions but also resentment (sometimes racist) and suspicion, as most come from Dahieh, the Hezbollah enclave in the south of the city.

Hawraa Saad fled Dahieh and lives here with her husband and three young children in a single room that she has made spotless.

“When we arrived the air was extremely dirty,” he told Sky News. “I cleaned it very well because I have young children with allergies and we can’t afford to go to the hospital.”

But this week police arrived to remove the new residents. It quickly turned into a small-scale riot with objects being thrown. About 400 families were here before; now only 170 remain.

Another woman, who does not want her name to be disclosed, says, “We have no choice.”

“We had to sleep on the streets yesterday because we did not want to face the police and get beaten again. We are not settlers or terrorists; we are just looking for shelter.”

The Lebanese government says more than 1.2 million people have been displaced by Israeli attacks on the country; This number constitutes a significant portion of the total population of approximately 5.8 million.

They were placed in schools and shelters, but they are currently full. Others told us that it was more difficult for Dahieh residents to find accommodation.

A Syrian man, who asked not to be identified for fear of losing his job, said landlords refuse to take in families, even those willing to pay.

“When there are large families, they worry that they are linked to Hezbollah, there are security concerns,” he said.

“There are some cases where they rent it to them one day and throw it out the next day.”

He says that his headscarved wife was questioned by security guards. He sent him and his sons back to Syria for their safety.

Others echo this story.

Sherine Ahmad, 26, escaped Israeli shelling in Dahieh with her husband and one-year-old son. She was heavily pregnant and gave birth to another son, a month premature, when she arrived in Beirut. He remains in the intensive care unit of a local hospital.

He currently resides in Mar Elias, a refugee camp established in 1952 that now consists of sprawling concrete apartment buildings.

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“I think some people here are racist; they don’t help us when they know we are Palestinian,” he says.

“They only help the Lebanese. But since this is a Palestinian camp, we are treated better.

“There are people who don’t like people from Dahieh, while others welcome and support them.

“Imagine running away and running while wondering where to go and whether you will be welcome.”

As we speak, an Israeli drone circles the city, flying loudly overhead.

This is still not a complete escape as the war is still ongoing.