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When the Beirut Explosion Sparked a New Exodus from Lebanon … Page all

KOMPAS.com – Shady Rizk (36), a telecommunications engineer is among the crowd Lebanon who are fed up with the prolonged economic crisis.

With 350 stitches on her body, she saw her survival as a miracle. At the time of the explosion, Rizk was in his office which is located close to the port.

He was determined not to spend it in Lebanon on the second chance of his life.

The explosion on August 4, 2020, was caused by hazardous materials left unsecured at the port for years, despite repeated warnings.

This fact further angered the Lebanese, who saw the political class as corrupt and unable to overcome the country’s crisis.

The explosion was the culmination of anger that made many citizens determined to leave Lebanon.

“I don’t feel safe here anymore. God gave me another life, a second chance, I don’t want to live here,” Rizk said, as quoted by Antara. AFP, 17 August 2020.

Also read: The Story of Those Who Lose Eyes due to the Explosion in Beirut, Lebanon …

Less than two weeks after the explosion, Rizk plans to move to Canada and hopes to start a new life with the help of relatives there.

The story of the exodus from Lebanon is not new.

In a country plagued by famine, economic crisis, and civil war for 15 years, at least one relative in a family has gone to the Gulf, Europe, or the United States.

In recent months, thousands of Lebanese have been recorded buying one-way tickets abroad to find work and avoid mass layoffs and cut wages.

Canada is still a favorite destination for Lebanese to get on with the rest of their lives.

photo" data-photolink="http://www.kompas.com/tren/image/2020/08/20/193500165/saat-ledakan-beirut-memicu-eksodus-baru-dari-lebanon-?page=2" style=" max-width: 100% ; width:750px ">Felipe Dana A photo rests among broken glass on the floor of the Sursock Palace, heavily damaged after the explosion in the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. The Sursock palace, built in 1860 in the heart of historical Beirut on top of a hill overlooking the now-obliterated port, is home to beautiful works of arts, Ottoman-era furniture, marble and paintings from Italy ? the result of more than three long-lasting generations of the Sursock family. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)-

Meanwhile, Walid (40), who works as a doctor immediately called his ex-wife in Paris a few minutes after the explosion.

He asked his ex-wife to bring their two children.

“He tried to calm me down. I asked to take him. As a father, I have to put them in a situation where they will not be traumatized, or risk their lives,” said Walid.

Also read: Lebanon Records Sharp Increase in Corona Cases Since the Beirut Blasts

At the time of the explosion, Walid was at home with one of his two 17-year-old sons.

His instincts as someone who grew up during the 1975-1990 civil war emerged when the big explosion occurred.

She grabbed her son and took him to the bathroom to take shelter from the teasing, just as his father did when Walid was young.

“The fear I saw on (my son’s) face penetrated me,” he explained.

Walid, who studies in Canada and Paris, plans to send twins to France for their studies.

The explosion hastened their departure.

Like many Lebanese, he was furious at the government for admitting that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate were left to rot in the heart of Beirut.

“Unexpectedly, we live in a country that has not been a legal entity for 40 years,” said Walid.

Also read: Profile of Hassan Diab, Prime Minister of Lebanon who resigned after the Beirut blasts

photo" data-photolink="http://www.kompas.com/tren/image/2020/08/20/193500165/saat-ledakan-beirut-memicu-eksodus-baru-dari-lebanon-?page=3" style=" max-width: 100% ; width:750px ">A helicopter splashes water at the scene of an explosion in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, on Aug. 5.  Local residents gasped when the explosion occurred on Tuesday (4/8/2020).AP PHOTO / Hussein Malla A helicopter splashes water at the scene of an explosion in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, on Aug. 5. Local residents gasped when the explosion occurred on Tuesday (4/8/2020).-

Sharbel Hasbany, a 29-year-old makeup artist is also determined to leave Lebanon, after turning down her mother’s requests for years.

However, he may need to seek financial help from friends and family as the economic crisis has stuck his savings in a banking system that blocks dollar withdrawals.

At the time of the explosion, Hasbany was in the Gemmayzeh district, one of the areas hardest hit by the explosion.

“We were there all the time, but did not know that we were sitting on the bomb,” he explained.

Also read: Ammonium Nitrate Cause the Explosion in Lebanon, Which Countries Still Saving?

photo-infographic" style="max-width:100%;"> KOMPAS.com/Akbar Bhayu Tamtomo
Infographic: What is Ammonium Nitrate?

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