25/07/2006
stampa
invia
South Lebanon. Naqura, Dueir, Srifa, Yater, Kfar Kila, Chebaa, Damour, Baflay, Bint Jbeil,
Kafer Hammam. Khiam. These are the towns currently under the Israeli attack. Small
built-up areas in the south of Lebanon, where it is hard to live even in normal
conditions. Now the war is here, it’s worse. Water … have been destroyed, together
with telephone and electricity lines. People are running away trying to reach
the capital, Syria or the Bekaa valley. Abu Ahmad’s family lives in Bint Jbeil,
a small town in the southern hills. Yesterday morning, after the siege, he left
his house and made for his relatives’ home in Beirut, in the Christian neighbourhood
of Dikueine, which is safe, at least for the time being. “There have been attacks
close to our home. A family of five has been erased. Together with my wife Laila
I decided to leave. We have six children. The smallest is just six months old.
I must save them”. Laila, the wife, is in tears: “I haven’t been able to bring
everything my baby needs. I am scared of another attack. But we’ll make it”. The
road to Beirut is falling apart, roads and alleys have to be bypassed on country
tracks. Taxis and buses are bursting with people. “We waited two hours for a
bus with some room for us. The memory of the past war, which began in 1975 and
lasted 20 years, is still fresh in the minds of many people. “All that’s happened
is a real tragedy. We have already had 20 years of war. We have no intention of
going through it again. Though I am less scared now. It’s almost as if I’m used
to it” says Mariam, 45 years old.
Towards Damask. Abu Ibrahim’s family lives in Nagura. They too are all set to leave. They will
go to Damask, where they have relatives who will welcome them. “Damask is surely
safer. My cousin will help me. Yesterday a girl of 16, and her brothers aged 3
and 7, lost her life near our house”. His wife speaks too: “We know the road to
Damask is very congested. It will take ages to get out of Nagura but it’s the
only way. There is nothing left here. The houses have been destroyed and it’s
dangerous to stay in them. I have collected everything and we are leaving. Inshallah”.
The next stop is “Tariq al matar” (the airport road), the first road you come
across when you go towards Beirut from Saida. Haret Hareik, Lebanon’s highest-density
Shiite quarter, is close by. The mother and sisters of 23 year-old Hussein, who
studies in Italy, live here. “I called my family. This morning, after Israeli
planes had spread leaflets warning against possible bombings on the area, they
set off for the Bekaa valley”. people in Beirut are stocking up on food in the
city’s supermarkets. Marie, 25, says: “Hizbollah has no right to decide for other
people’s lives. We don’t want to face another war”. 19 year old Meggie, instead,
is in Beirut while her 80 year-old grandmother is in Yaroun, in the South. “There
have been no attacks on Yaroun yet. My grandmother lives alone there. It’s impossible
for me to reach the South, and I have no way of contacting her as the telephone
lines don’t work. I don’t know what to do”.
stampainvia
Voices of Lebanese families trying to save themselves
Written for PeaceReporter by
Erminia Calabrese
Erminia Calabrese
South Lebanon. Naqura, Dueir, Srifa, Yater, Kfar Kila, Chebaa, Damour, Baflay, Bint Jbeil,
Kafer Hammam. Khiam. These are the towns currently under the Israeli attack. Small
built-up areas in the south of Lebanon, where it is hard to live even in normal
conditions. Now the war is here, it’s worse. Water … have been destroyed, together
with telephone and electricity lines. People are running away trying to reach
the capital, Syria or the Bekaa valley. Abu Ahmad’s family lives in Bint Jbeil,
a small town in the southern hills. Yesterday morning, after the siege, he left
his house and made for his relatives’ home in Beirut, in the Christian neighbourhood
of Dikueine, which is safe, at least for the time being. “There have been attacks
close to our home. A family of five has been erased. Together with my wife Laila
I decided to leave. We have six children. The smallest is just six months old.
I must save them”. Laila, the wife, is in tears: “I haven’t been able to bring
everything my baby needs. I am scared of another attack. But we’ll make it”. The
road to Beirut is falling apart, roads and alleys have to be bypassed on country
tracks. Taxis and buses are bursting with people. “We waited two hours for a
bus with some room for us. The memory of the past war, which began in 1975 and
lasted 20 years, is still fresh in the minds of many people. “All that’s happened
is a real tragedy. We have already had 20 years of war. We have no intention of
going through it again. Though I am less scared now. It’s almost as if I’m used
to it” says Mariam, 45 years old.Towards Damask. Abu Ibrahim’s family lives in Nagura. They too are all set to leave. They will
go to Damask, where they have relatives who will welcome them. “Damask is surely
safer. My cousin will help me. Yesterday a girl of 16, and her brothers aged 3
and 7, lost her life near our house”. His wife speaks too: “We know the road to
Damask is very congested. It will take ages to get out of Nagura but it’s the
only way. There is nothing left here. The houses have been destroyed and it’s
dangerous to stay in them. I have collected everything and we are leaving. Inshallah”.
The next stop is “Tariq al matar” (the airport road), the first road you come
across when you go towards Beirut from Saida. Haret Hareik, Lebanon’s highest-density
Shiite quarter, is close by. The mother and sisters of 23 year-old Hussein, who
studies in Italy, live here. “I called my family. This morning, after Israeli
planes had spread leaflets warning against possible bombings on the area, they
set off for the Bekaa valley”. people in Beirut are stocking up on food in the
city’s supermarkets. Marie, 25, says: “Hizbollah has no right to decide for other
people’s lives. We don’t want to face another war”. 19 year old Meggie, instead,
is in Beirut while her 80 year-old grandmother is in Yaroun, in the South. “There
have been no attacks on Yaroun yet. My grandmother lives alone there. It’s impossible
for me to reach the South, and I have no way of contacting her as the telephone
lines don’t work. I don’t know what to do”.
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