"Our house in Nahr el-Bared had three bedrooms and all utilities. Despite the hardships, we had a pleasurable life. Living amongst our relatives, neighbours and loved ones helped us to forget life's adversities and problems. I miss the life we had before, the calmness and the family gatherings."
"Our house in Nahr el-Bared had three bedrooms and all utilities. My husband used to work selling potatoes and I would help him. It was difficult to make ends meet and we used to receive relief aid because we had quite a large family - six boys and two girls", forty four-year-old Samira Yousef Loubani explains.
"Despite the hardships, we had a pleasurable life. Living amongst our relatives, neighbours and loved ones helped us to forget life's adversities and problems. Although we are living in this spacious garage now, I miss the life we had before, the calmness and the family gatherings. The war has caused many problems for us, including rising debts (700,000 L.L.) because my husband lost his job."
For a moment there is silence. Samira's eyes fill with tears. "We didn't leave the camp when others left. We stayed on for about a month, thinking it would be a matter of days and the nightmare would be over. We could never have imagined what has happened.
At the beginning, we went to a shelter for displaced people. After that, with financial assistance from UNRWA, we came to live in this garage."
Samira's eyes scan the room as if to tell me this house is not fit to be a home. "The walls have no paint or wallpaper. We don't have a fridge, a washing machine or any of the things we had in el-Bared. We lost everything," says Samira. She sighs, distressed, knowing she has no other option.
"We've benefited from UNRWA's relief services. The best is the rice, sugar and flour," she says. "We've also received two mats, three mattresses, four pillows and of course the money for the rent. All these things have helped relieve some of the pressure, but what can compensate for our losses and memories? Despite all the assistance offered by UNRWA, we still feel the sadness and pain of the events, which plagued our camp and separated our family", she says as her voice chokes with tears.
