Stories from the Front Line
9 August 2006
The following are stories of Lebanese families displaced from their homes by the war, as told to Oxfam's Shaheen Chughtai.
One of Oxfam's partners in Lebanon, the National Association for Vocational Training and Social Services, or NAVTSS, usually helps Palestinian refugees living in camps across the country.
Since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas broke out last month, however, more than 900,000 Lebanese have become displaced themselves. Some have even sought shelter in the Palestinian camps.
NAVTSS has been doing what it can to deal with this huge problem, providing food boxes to hundreds of displaced families and even throwing open the doors of its offices to people who have fled their homes to escape deadly bombings. Following are the experiences of some of the survivors, as told to Oxfam's Shaheen Chughtai.
Hasan Abdallah, 45, and his daughter Zaina, 19
"The bombs started falling at about 6 a.m. in my area of south Beirut, where I lived with my wife and four children," says Hasan Abdallah. "There was no warning. I was at a printer's shop, where I work. My family was at home. I rushed home. Buildings nearby had been damaged, but the flat where we lived was all right."
"The explosions woke us up," recalls Zaina. "We were terrified, running from one room to another as the bombs exploded outside. We tried to work out which part of the flat was safest."
"My parents had arrived in Beirut four days earlier, fleeing their village of Aitaroun in the south because of the attacks," says Hasan. "Now it was our turn. We grabbed some clothes and left home to escape the danger.
"We first went to a school in east Beirut, which was housing people who had fled from their homes. We spent the night there but the conditions were terrible. There were about 400 people trying to share two bathrooms. Usually, there was no water. Then we were taken in by NAVTSS.
"We've been staying here at the NAVTSS office for 18 days now, sleeping on mattresses like the other displaced people here. I think our home is still standing, but the neighborhood has been mostly destroyed. It's too dangerous to go back. We just have a few clothes. I have no money and there are six of us to feed. I don't know what we'll do. We're in shock."
Aynaya Issa, 28, and sister Abeera
"I'm originally Palestinian, living in the southern village of Ghazia," says Aynaya Issa. "It was about 9 a.m. and I was working in my accounting office when a bomb hit a bridge next to our building. Everyone was suddenly screaming in panic, and I fainted. When I recovered, I went home where I lived with three brothers, my sister Abeera, and her two children.
"Many shells were falling on Ghazia so we decided we had to try to escape. The main road was blocked by rubble, so we had to find another way out. We eventually escaped and drove all day until we reached Beirut."
"My children, 6-year-old Marwa and 4-year-old Mahmoud, were so frightened that they stopped eating. They would only drink some water," says Aynaya's sister, Abeera. "They've lost weight and are very stressed. When they hear the explosions from the air raids here in Beirut, they curl up in fear.
"We've been here three weeks now. We just spend our days watching the news, and crying when we see so much death. So many people have lost their homes because of the bombardment. Many can't find their families. We need security, a solution to these problems.
"I'm worried about the effect of all this on the children. There's nothing for them to do all day. It's a big problem. He's only four, but Mahmoud listens to the television news and recently he told me, 'Mummy, 10 people were killed today – I saw it on the news.' They're very withdrawn these days.
"I'm afraid for the future," says Abeera, tears filling her eyes. "Ghazia was just a residential place, inhabited by civilians only but it is being destroyed. Yesterday, 17 people were killed in Ghazia in the latest bombardment. Two of them were my friends."
Naziah Mustafa, 40
"It was about 11 a.m. when the shells came crashing into my village of Aitaroun, near the Israeli border," says Naziah Mustafa. "I live with my parents, my wife, my two sisters, my brother, and his two children. We grabbed a few clothes and some of our ID cards and drove away as quickly as possible.
"I had about 200 sheep, which I placed in the care of my brother's friend before we left. Driving north, we got lost a few times but eventually we made it to Sidon, where my brother lives. My parents are now staying in a school there.
"The rest of us continued to Beirut. We stayed at my sister's place, but she lives close to Haret Hreik, where many Hezbollah supporters live. The Israeli planes kept bombing the area and we were too close. The bombing shattered our windows, so after four days we left.
"We spent one night in a school but it was very difficult. There were over 400 people and only four washrooms. So we ended up here at the NAVTSS office.
"I don't know what we'll do," says Naziah, shaking his head. "My brother's friend, who was looking after my sheep, fled Aitaroun two days after we left, and my animals scattered or were killed. I spent all my savings buying those animals so I have no money left. In fact, I have a loan to repay. I've lost my livelihood and I don't know if my house is still standing. My family is depressed. We have to start again from zero.
"I hope people outside Lebanon can understand how we feel. There are people still buried under the rubble of bombed buildings. Those who are still alive are cut off. No one can reach them to help them, bring them food. Many of our people have been killed in bombardments. But now many others face death from lack of food, water, and other vital resources."
8 August 2006
