Interview with Salam Koborsi, Production Officer at Dar Manhal al Hayat

When I first saw on TV the news about Ukraine, I thought it was a movie. I couldn’t believe it. When I understood it was for real, it affected me very deeply.

When I saw the videos of all these families fleeing with their children, it reminded me of what we went through during the Lebanese civil war and how much we suffered. I had flashbacks of my father and our family fleeing in our car. It made me cry a lot.

Another thing I couldn’t stand watching was the crowds of people in the airport, waiting to leave with very little, not knowing when or if when they will be able to go back to their homes. Their homes were where they had been living all their lives in peace and safety.

What makes it worse is that it all happened in the middle of a harsh winter. Here we have houses and blankets and yet we feel cold.