Classrooms Become The New Homes For Displaced Lebanese
Article Published in Asharq Al Awsat
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=5667
July 15, 2006
Beirut - Colonel Chidiac head of the Fire Department and in charge of coordinating the emergency units for Beirut explained in his office: “There are about 5000 people relocating, but the number is increasing everyday”.
“We are distributing water, medical supplies, and bedding” for the public schools he continues.
Sitting in the colonel’s office, Gaby Khalil, from the High Relief Committee set up by the consul of ministers adds: “But things are complicated, we are concerned about what the quantities especially as the city gets closed off”.
“Of the refugees there are adults of course but also many babies under the age of 6 months, which means milk and diapers” Khalil continues.
Across Beirut and throughout the country, public and private schools are have opened to absorb and shelter fleeing Lebanese.
In Beirut, many have been making their way up from the south of the country and from the southern neighborhood of Dahia of Beirut.
A pregnant woman, in her last month sits on a plastic chair at the front of the school: “I have just gotten her this morning”, she says. “But only God knows how long we will be here. I am concerned and scared about my baby” she continues her hands joined at her lap craddling her stomach.
Mariam Hoss, also newly arrived explains that over the past few days: “it has been raining bombs over the house”.
It took her a day of searching, and a night of sleeping in the streets before she could find where her family was. Now all 34 members comprising of her brothers and sisters and their children have regrouped.
Climbing up to the different floors, classrooms are now home to large families. Housing between 17 and 22 people are camping out on the floor.
Hassan Kawar a former restaurant employee says: “No we don’t have anything with us, none of our belongings”.
The 71 year old, Hussein Awada, resting on a blanket spread over the floor under a blackboard describes the present situation as being much different from the civil war: “The difference between then and now is that the bombs are more dangerous because of technology. After looking at the bridge destroyed by my house, the way it was blown out makes me not even feel safe in the shelter”.
Yet in remembering the war, he becomes upset: “Before we went through a lot, and now we have to go through this again?” the tone of his voice ending with a question.
When asked what types of provisions he has with him, and whether he has any money to sustain his situation: “We brought food, but don’t have any money. I don’t know what we will do”.
Considering his destitute situation Awada lays the blame on both sides of the conflict.
The fire brigade sirens resound, the firemen who had been distributed mattresses to the school get their warning call to move on to the next place.
As the fire worker, Ali climbs into the car, he begins describing who the pace of their schedules has changed.
“Usually we work for 24 hours and rest for 48 hours, but now we work for 48 hours and sleep for 24” he explains.
When asked how he was keeping up: “I am not like a normal person anyway, I just keep on going, and we take rest when we can.”
But the fire brigade is busy and these are just the first few days of the state of war Lebanon is in.
Yet their burden of emergency relief is not carried by fire department alone. Back at the headquarters of the Fire Department, Colonal Chidiac explained that agencies across the country were working together. The Red Cross, the Civil Defense, volunteer organizations, youth groups and political parties were banding together to deal with the humanitarian disaster.
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=5667
July 15, 2006
Beirut - Colonel Chidiac head of the Fire Department and in charge of coordinating the emergency units for Beirut explained in his office: “There are about 5000 people relocating, but the number is increasing everyday”.
“We are distributing water, medical supplies, and bedding” for the public schools he continues.
Sitting in the colonel’s office, Gaby Khalil, from the High Relief Committee set up by the consul of ministers adds: “But things are complicated, we are concerned about what the quantities especially as the city gets closed off”.
“Of the refugees there are adults of course but also many babies under the age of 6 months, which means milk and diapers” Khalil continues.
Across Beirut and throughout the country, public and private schools are have opened to absorb and shelter fleeing Lebanese.
In Beirut, many have been making their way up from the south of the country and from the southern neighborhood of Dahia of Beirut.
A pregnant woman, in her last month sits on a plastic chair at the front of the school: “I have just gotten her this morning”, she says. “But only God knows how long we will be here. I am concerned and scared about my baby” she continues her hands joined at her lap craddling her stomach.
Mariam Hoss, also newly arrived explains that over the past few days: “it has been raining bombs over the house”.
It took her a day of searching, and a night of sleeping in the streets before she could find where her family was. Now all 34 members comprising of her brothers and sisters and their children have regrouped.
Climbing up to the different floors, classrooms are now home to large families. Housing between 17 and 22 people are camping out on the floor.
Hassan Kawar a former restaurant employee says: “No we don’t have anything with us, none of our belongings”.
The 71 year old, Hussein Awada, resting on a blanket spread over the floor under a blackboard describes the present situation as being much different from the civil war: “The difference between then and now is that the bombs are more dangerous because of technology. After looking at the bridge destroyed by my house, the way it was blown out makes me not even feel safe in the shelter”.
Yet in remembering the war, he becomes upset: “Before we went through a lot, and now we have to go through this again?” the tone of his voice ending with a question.
When asked what types of provisions he has with him, and whether he has any money to sustain his situation: “We brought food, but don’t have any money. I don’t know what we will do”.
Considering his destitute situation Awada lays the blame on both sides of the conflict.
The fire brigade sirens resound, the firemen who had been distributed mattresses to the school get their warning call to move on to the next place.
As the fire worker, Ali climbs into the car, he begins describing who the pace of their schedules has changed.
“Usually we work for 24 hours and rest for 48 hours, but now we work for 48 hours and sleep for 24” he explains.
When asked how he was keeping up: “I am not like a normal person anyway, I just keep on going, and we take rest when we can.”
But the fire brigade is busy and these are just the first few days of the state of war Lebanon is in.
Yet their burden of emergency relief is not carried by fire department alone. Back at the headquarters of the Fire Department, Colonal Chidiac explained that agencies across the country were working together. The Red Cross, the Civil Defense, volunteer organizations, youth groups and political parties were banding together to deal with the humanitarian disaster.
posted by Irina Prentice at 7:47 AM
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