The scale of devastation from the explosion in Lebanon — to buildings, infrastructure and people's livelihoods — is difficult to capture. Standing in the wreckage of their homes and workplaces, these Beirut residents share their stories.
I can't even remember the sound of the blast, similar to the silence you feel when you're under a crashing wave."I've had a recurrent nightmare ever since I was a kid: A tsunami takes over and all I can do is look for my sister to rescue her.
I worried about her because I never thought I'd have to go through such a nightmare all alone. And that I did, on Aug. 4. I was the last one to stay at the art gallery. A minute before the explosion, I needed to use the bathroom. The shaking blue painted walls echoed the tsunami waves from my nightmares. 'No, not like this,' I said to myself, as I threw myself on the floor and tried to protect my head under the toilet. I can't even remember the sound of the blast, similar to the silence you feel when you're under a crashing wave. When I got out of that bathroom, I realized that the world I built in this country came crashing down. I walked all the way home, my sandals crushing over the shimmering glass shards that led to whatever was left of my 70-square-meter apartment in Pasteur. The coldness hits you when you silence the screams and cries for help filling the smokey air of the broken city. The moment I saw my building in ruins, I felt a heartbreak like no other. I knew my apartment was completely gone when I saw pictures from my family album and little drawings my boyfriend drew of me on A5 yellow paper scattered on every floor. I live on the third floor. My home is gone and my heart is crushed and all I can see are my favorite memories drowning in glass. In that moment, I realized that my recurrent nightmare, looking for my sister, was a metaphor. As I saw our 5- and 4-year-old selves resting on the echoes of glimmering ocean hues, I realized that maybe my nightmares were telling me I should never have to be alone, and to join the rest of my family who are safe and sound because they've fled this catastrophe long before it happened." Habeb al-Hamad Azab, a Syrian refugee, stands in front of his destroyed home in Beirut's Mar Mikhael neighborhood.Habeb al-Hamad Azab, a Syrian refugee, stands in front of his destroyed home in Beirut's Mar Mikhael neighborhood.Habeb al-Hamad Azab is a Syrian refugee who came to Lebanon with his family in hopes of building a safe future. The explosions served a heavy blow to those hopes. His children were at home when the blasts happened and were unharmed. But now he has lost his house in Beirut's Mar Mikhael neighborhood and his family had to flee to a refugee camp because they have nowhere else to go. Eli Rezkallah, owner and founder of Plastik Studios, walks around his office in the neighborhood of Gemmayzeh."To metoggle captionEli Rezkallah, owner and founder of Plastik Studios, walks around his office in the neighborhood of Gemmayzeh."To meEli Rezkallahis an independent publication, the Middle East's first visual magazine championing young artists and queer individuals from the Middle East and the world. The headquarters were destroyed. I am grateful that my team and loved ones are all safe ... but today I stand here, numb and unable to feel anything.'s mere existence was to add colors and light to a war-torn city. When I first walked into this space, I was 21. I fell in love with it and gambled everything I had to have it. It's in this happy place that I startedand my dreams took off. This space kept coming back to Beirut despite the repeated heartbreak of living in this city. This is where I met the love of my life and some of my happiest memories. Yes, I am grateful that my team and loved ones are all safe, I am grateful to all the workers that guarded my space when I didn't have the mental or physical capacity to do so. But today I stand here, numb and unable to feel anything, to be honest. I want to work on my mental health but it's impossible as long as I'm trapped in this country. The hardest thing is to feel unsafe in your own home, in your own country."
Please follow us on Google to support us United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How to Help Those Affected by the Explosion In BeirutIf you have the means to be able to contribute, consider donating to these organizations.
Read more »
More dangerous chemicals found at Lebanon's Beirut portDocuments show Lebanese security officials warned the prime minister and president in July that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in Beirut's port posed a security risk and could destroy the capital if it exploded.
Read more »
A week after blast, Beirut pauses to remember the deadThe shattered city of Beirut marked a week since the explosion that killed at least 171 people, injured thousands and plunged Lebanon into a deeper political crisis. Thousands marched, remembering those who died in the nation's most destructive blast.
Read more »
A week after blast, Beirut pauses to remember the deadThousands of people march in Beirut as the city marks one week since the catastrophic explosion that killed at least 171 people, injured thousands and plunged Lebanon into a deeper political crisis.
Read more »
Change needed in Lebanon after Beirut blast, says German foreign ministerGermany's foreign minister said on Wednesday that Lebanon needed a government that can fight corruption and enact reforms as he toured Beirut port, scene of the devastating explosion that has triggered protests and led the government to resign.
Read more »