Fatima wipes her tears and puts a coffee pot on a portable stove. Her vibrant smile returns as she says, “We are the people of Baalbek, we honour our guests, with whatever means available.”
Iqbal knocks on the door and enters. The 60-year-old woman was forced to leave her town, Boudai, and arrived at the school on the same day as Fatima.
“We couldn’t sleep all night because of the constant bombing all around us,” says Iqbal. “When the sun came up, we fled with nothing. We didn’t even know where we’re going, we just ran for our lives.”
Iqbal managed to get a few mattresses and blankets for herself, her father, and her three siblings.
“We know nothing about our house,” she says. “I miss home so much, and the things I took for granted before. It’s dangerous to go back home; it’s undignified to stay here.”
Fonte original msf.org
