Messages coming from the war zone...
Published: 04:10 PM,Oct 07,2024 | EDITED : 07:10 PM,Oct 07,2024
One can choose not to look at the images coming from the war zones or look at them to know the reality. The world has seen many wars between countries, and crossfires across the borders are the norm, but here is a war that is referred to as genocide, crossing 365 days.
In this case, the war is on the occupied territories of Palestine. In their update, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says only two stabilisation centres remain functional for severely malnourished children across the Gaza Strip as catastrophic hunger grips a significant portion of Gaza’s population. After all, since October 7, last year, close to 41,000 people have been killed and more than 94,000 people have been injured. Over 10,000 people are missing or could be buried under the rubble.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, as per the statistics reported in September 2024, the population in Gaza is 2.1 million, and the internally displaced persons add up to 1.9 million. When other countries talk about human resources development, during this crisis of one year, the people and UN agencies are struggling to handle the humanitarian crisis.
Displaced families face significant challenges in accessing basic services, with critically low access to water, according to recent humanitarian assessments. Jordan, Egypt, and the UN co-organised a 'Call for Action' conference to urgently strengthen the humanitarian response in Gaza, as fuel shortages and access constraints continue to severely disrupt the delivery of life-saving aid.
Now, the war has expanded to include Lebanon. No amount of news clips can prepare you for a situation where your family and friends are caught in the war zone. My friend, Anne Bouji, and I exchange regular morning messages, and I look forward to her lighthearted messages every day. But now our thoughts are different.
As the situation gets tense in Lebanon, a text message to her brought in this reply. Anne replied, “We are okay, but the fear and tension in the air is dreadful. When the Israeli jets fly low over the city and break the sound barrier, the buildings shake. Our neighbours on the other side of the city are really suffering with these targeted strikes and the pager explosions. The south of Lebanon is a true battle zone, with hundreds of thousands fleeing the area, many coming to Beirut. Some go to family here and others go to schools that are trying to accommodate families who are displaced and have nothing. Our world has gone mad.”
This was then at the beginning. Since then, the situation has escalated, and Anne reflected on her thoughts with me. She was worried how October 7, 2024, would turn out. She wrote on October 7, 2024, “Today... as anxious as I was yesterday about the possibility of IDF increasing their target range in Beirut, it seems I was wrong. That may be because they are mourning the loss of their loved ones today and have plans for us tomorrow or later in the week. I don't quite know how to describe today. There is such a lot of anger in the air. The traffic is manic, with horns sounding constantly; people are shouting all around us, the sirens of ambulances are trying to rush through the traffic. Even the sky is angry looking. There is no rain forecast for today, but the sky is black. That, of course, may be the smoke from the various buildings that were bombed overnight, and behind it all is the constant sound of drones. We heard a lot of missile strikes last night from as early as about 9 pm.”
There was something happening on the street next to us, she wrote, but I don't know what. “A siren/alarm was going for ages, the area was flooded with light, but it wasn't a strike. Perhaps someone tried to break into a shop? No idea and have no inclination to find out if it means going out and about. Selfishly, as long as we are okay here, for now, that is all I am worried about. When did I become so selfish?”
These words made me reflect on how the world takes away peace of mind and small moments of happiness. Small or big, conflicts bring out the worst in us. It makes us vulnerable, insecure because it puts us in survival mode.
Fear and uncertainty can be suffocating. Wars pollute the earth and minds of people, whether you are in the conflict zone or not. To breathe, to live is a basic human right. Why should thousands of innocent lives be affected due to disagreements in policies? We fight for climate change; should we not also be addressing the displacement of people in the world? Shouldn’t we realise the natural resources that we take for granted are a luxury? Quality of life includes thoughts and emotions. Life matters.
In this case, the war is on the occupied territories of Palestine. In their update, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says only two stabilisation centres remain functional for severely malnourished children across the Gaza Strip as catastrophic hunger grips a significant portion of Gaza’s population. After all, since October 7, last year, close to 41,000 people have been killed and more than 94,000 people have been injured. Over 10,000 people are missing or could be buried under the rubble.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, as per the statistics reported in September 2024, the population in Gaza is 2.1 million, and the internally displaced persons add up to 1.9 million. When other countries talk about human resources development, during this crisis of one year, the people and UN agencies are struggling to handle the humanitarian crisis.
Displaced families face significant challenges in accessing basic services, with critically low access to water, according to recent humanitarian assessments. Jordan, Egypt, and the UN co-organised a 'Call for Action' conference to urgently strengthen the humanitarian response in Gaza, as fuel shortages and access constraints continue to severely disrupt the delivery of life-saving aid.
Now, the war has expanded to include Lebanon. No amount of news clips can prepare you for a situation where your family and friends are caught in the war zone. My friend, Anne Bouji, and I exchange regular morning messages, and I look forward to her lighthearted messages every day. But now our thoughts are different.
As the situation gets tense in Lebanon, a text message to her brought in this reply. Anne replied, “We are okay, but the fear and tension in the air is dreadful. When the Israeli jets fly low over the city and break the sound barrier, the buildings shake. Our neighbours on the other side of the city are really suffering with these targeted strikes and the pager explosions. The south of Lebanon is a true battle zone, with hundreds of thousands fleeing the area, many coming to Beirut. Some go to family here and others go to schools that are trying to accommodate families who are displaced and have nothing. Our world has gone mad.”
This was then at the beginning. Since then, the situation has escalated, and Anne reflected on her thoughts with me. She was worried how October 7, 2024, would turn out. She wrote on October 7, 2024, “Today... as anxious as I was yesterday about the possibility of IDF increasing their target range in Beirut, it seems I was wrong. That may be because they are mourning the loss of their loved ones today and have plans for us tomorrow or later in the week. I don't quite know how to describe today. There is such a lot of anger in the air. The traffic is manic, with horns sounding constantly; people are shouting all around us, the sirens of ambulances are trying to rush through the traffic. Even the sky is angry looking. There is no rain forecast for today, but the sky is black. That, of course, may be the smoke from the various buildings that were bombed overnight, and behind it all is the constant sound of drones. We heard a lot of missile strikes last night from as early as about 9 pm.”
There was something happening on the street next to us, she wrote, but I don't know what. “A siren/alarm was going for ages, the area was flooded with light, but it wasn't a strike. Perhaps someone tried to break into a shop? No idea and have no inclination to find out if it means going out and about. Selfishly, as long as we are okay here, for now, that is all I am worried about. When did I become so selfish?”
These words made me reflect on how the world takes away peace of mind and small moments of happiness. Small or big, conflicts bring out the worst in us. It makes us vulnerable, insecure because it puts us in survival mode.
Fear and uncertainty can be suffocating. Wars pollute the earth and minds of people, whether you are in the conflict zone or not. To breathe, to live is a basic human right. Why should thousands of innocent lives be affected due to disagreements in policies? We fight for climate change; should we not also be addressing the displacement of people in the world? Shouldn’t we realise the natural resources that we take for granted are a luxury? Quality of life includes thoughts and emotions. Life matters.