more on the situation in Lebanon

Everyday, someone from our class write a little about what happened during the program that day. Today, Mohamad wrote a bit about some of his experiences. One thing I really admire about him is that although he has his own opinion on the issue, he has always said: "it's not about politics, let's talk about how we can help the people there, let's make this humanitarian."

"Cheers" said my friend. "To peace and love!” I replied… As I put my drink on the table, a sudden distant flash in the sky made me jerk my head round. A couple of seconds later, I realised how stupid I had been… I was in Lausanne, the safest place on earth – and the flash had been fireworks in the night sky! My friends chuckled and asked why I had reacted that way. I explained that a flash in the sky in my hometown meant that a bomb was exploding somewhere and that the flash above us had caused my involuntary reaction.

The 1st of August marks the union of Switzerland. The Swiss celebrate this anniversary by shooting amazingly artistic fireworks in the sky. The sounds and sights mesmerized me but the entertaining sounds at this side of the world took me back to the menacing ones back home. I longed more for home... It would have been much easier to stay in Lebanon – yes, under siege and roaring bombs, but also with my family and my people. I had to leave my family going through one of the most emotionally charged decisions of my life. I felt somehow overpowered by my mom’s tears and my father’s persuasion and logic. It was quite painful for me to hear: "It is better for us if you just leave and be safe".

Before taking this decision, I had worked for a couple of weeks with the mayor of my city Saida, the capital of South Lebanon. I was assisting the city’s administration in handling international media and NGOs.

I will never forget my last interview with a British reporter just nearby the Municipality building, where the refugees gathered before being distributed among the many shelters improvised in the city. While I was being interviewed, in English, a refugee kept on interrupting and asking me in Arabic whether I was saying something against the resistance. I could not stop my interview, but I tapped him on the shoulder indicating "No". I also had to point at a signboard trying by sign language to indicate that this was my father’s office hoping that my father’s name might help him understand who my family was and confirm what I was trying to tell him.

When the interview was over, I satisfied their anxiety by translating to them some of what I had said. As much as I witnessed misery and pain, I also witnessed courage and an unprecedented faith in the refugees. It was quite frustrating and emotional for me to deal with all of that. The person who was interrupting had apparently lost a brother and a nephew - but his faith overshadowed any sign of mourning... He made me feel so humble.

I went back to the office to check the latest developments and to bid the mayor and the team farewell. A meeting was going on, where the other angle of the humanitarian crisis at Saida was being discussed. Besides the doubling population, minimum resources and the siege, the alarming subject on the table was the social impact of the crisis on the Saidonians. Around 30% of Saida’s population live under the poverty line and unemployed is a huge problem. Many of the employed survive on the basis of minimum weekly or daily wages, which had basically stopped ever since was broke out. I had to leave the meeting with many questions in my head: For how long can Saida survive? How would we deal with a state of panic? How would people take the loss of their family members after they realize that they actually lost them? Where can the million refugees settle while their homes are rebuilt? Will school activities ever start again for the million Lebanese children whose schools are currently being used as shelter for the thousands of displaced? What will be the impact after the war? What about the ecological damage due to bombing the seven tanks at the shore? What about the thousands of fishermen?

Many questions that are left unanswered... until further notice

Mohamad