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 By Andrew Coombes.
Student Andrew Coombes was stranded in Beirut and recorded his experiences here for the Today Programme.
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Listen to an interview with Andrew Coombes. |
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Israeli raid near Bahman hospital in Haret Hreik in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
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USEFUL LINKS |
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British Embassy in Beirut
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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Israeli artillery firing rounds into southern Lebanon.
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The wreckage of television station of Hezbollah in southern Beirut.
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The wreckage of the house of Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah.
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Petrol tanks are seen on fire at the al-Jieh Electricity station.
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20 July 2006
On finally making contact with the British Embassy in Beirut , I asked how much longer the evacuation would be. I was advised that evacuation of British nationals had started, with several hundreds already contacted directly by the Embassy. I was advised to try my luck for the current round of evacuations, as there were spaces left.
After racing to the Forum de Beyrout, a huge concert arena close to Beirut 's port, I was in. The first thing that hit me was the scale of the operation. The lion's share of evacuees were families with young children, the elderly and those who appeared to be residents in the most dangerous areas of Lebanon .
Everyone had to have the passport checked, baggage scanned and details taken.
On overhearing odd conversations, many had been uncomfortably close to the Israeli strikes in the Bekaa and Southern Lebanon . Some had left businesses and charities behind. All had left good friends behind and were sad to leave.
We were bussed down to the port and led on to HMS York, a naval destroyer. A good deal more people were on the ship than usual, meaning that the ship's mess rooms were rather cramped. Yet no-one complained - everyone made room for each other and accepted the Navy's help with good grace. The Navy themselves were fantastic throughout, providing food and drinks and entertaining the children.
While on the boat, many had time to reflect on the current situation in Lebanon . The mood was one of anger and resentment toward Israel . Why did they hit the civilian infrastructure? What does Israel hope to achieve? Why so many dead, homeless and wounded?
Perhaps out of a sense of duty, the majority of the evacuees I spoke to (or overheard) planned to return to Lebanon when the crisis ends. Some said they want to engage in volunteer work in Southern Lebanon and the Bekaa soon. The political awareness of those who previously were merely residing in Lebanon has been engaged. There was a virulent anti-Israel current among the evacuees.
On docking at Limassol in Cyrpus, we were transferred to RAF Akrotiri. An aircraft hanger had been filled with camp beds, waiting for tired limbs to crash down on them. We were fed and watered, and a few of us took the chance to shower off the sea spray that had lashed us on HMS York.
Four hours sleep was granted before we were roused again. Another few hundred evacuees were due to arrive at the base, and a full night's sleep was out of the question in the circumstances.
I now type this on the flight back to Gatwick. The mood is strangely sombre. The sheer speed of the actual evacuation is in sharp relief to the difficulty of moving around Lebanon at present. We have been very lucky to escape such horror, as will other British nationals who are soon to be evacuated. The Lebanese have no such luxury. They must be remembered.
19th July 2006
Just when I thought that the shelling of Beirut had stopped, six massive explosions rocked the capital from 1.30am, in the small hours of Tuesday morning. The southern suburbs were being targeted again.
I've quickly realised where the bombs are going off, which is depressing. I don't like the idea of knowing where shells are landing - it shows I'm becoming desensitised.
Two nights ago I was throwing myself off my bed to take cover when there were strikes. Now I just lie there as my heart beats just a little faster. I can sleep through the bombing.
The worst moment of the day is looking at the photos carried by the newspapers first thing in the morning. The photographs being carried are more explicit than any Western newspaper dare feature. Ruined homes, injured children, the dead. One photo showed two men on fire at the port.
It's a cruel reminder that while Hamra is safe -for now at least - other parts of Lebanon are enduring unimaginable suffering.
On a visit to the port today, I witnessed a group of Norwegian nationals being evacuated. A huge vessel was being boarded by around 300 people. The main impression I left with was the incredibly laborious and slow process.
A line of people waited patiently among the heat and flies as their papers and suitcases were checked. A small pile of blades and other restricted items formed at the side of the walkway as people passed security and were admitted to the gaping entrance of the ferry. On reaching the top of the walkway some waved, relieved to finally leave Lebanon and the bombing behind.
From what I witnessed today, a lightning quick evacuation is a forlorn hope for those hoping to escape the country. This is why information for waiting evacuees is essential. Yet the British Embassy has made no effort to contact me, despite having my mobile number, hotel number and email address. I shouldn't have to rely on updates being relayed to me from family and friends in the UK.
Yet again, it's back to the hotel to wait for the phone to ring.
18th July 2006
As of today, I have spent a straight week in Lebanon . In that week, the country has been set back by several years. Last Tuesday, Beirutis were confident and looking to the future. Now the Lebanese are nervous, seeing their recent sad history replayed before them.
More Israeli strikes took place overnight. Half-a-dozen loud explosions rocked Beirut , further targeting the southern suburbs and the port. Two lorry drivers were killed as the port car park was shelled.
But Hamra is busier today. Most of the shops remain closed, but a few have lifted their shutters, perhaps realising that they cannot stay locked forever. There were more people on Rue Hamra, and considerably more cars. Life goes on, to the whirring of the generators. The generators are perhaps the one positive legacy from the civil war at this moment - despite the power stations being knocked out, the lights stay on.
While the practicalities of life are possible in Hamra - an area that has not been directly targeted by the strikes - people here have relatives and friends in the southern suburbs. They are trying their best, but one can see that the emotional weight is heavy.
Some of the residents here are leaving. A yellow VW Camper van was being loaded with suitcases, holdalls and plastic shopping bags of personal effects as I walked through Hamra this morning. It's not only foreign nationals that are anxious to escape.
I went to Royal Jordanian's office this morning to get advice on my return flight this Thursday. The office was, unsurprisingly, closed. When I called Royal Jordanian's offices they said they would put me up in a hotel for the night if I got to Amman one day before my flight.
However, getting to Amman is impossible. The airline understandably has no contingency plan in place for such unusual circumstances. A taxi ride to Amman would involve a circuitous route through northern Syria , as the main road to Damascus has been shelled. It's too much of a risk.
So, all I can do is wait for the UK evacuation. I have heard nothing from the embassy thus far. The waiting is difficult, particularly when I think of how much of a burden it's placing on family and friends at home.
It's also an odd feeling to have the hotel staff show such concern at a time when they are the ones most at risk. "The French are taking people back! Go to their embassy, demand you be sent home. It's dangerous here. You must go!" said the man at the check-in desk. "When's your flight home? Go to Tripoli , and then across to Syria !" To get such advice while the Lebanese sit it out is pretty overwhelming at times.
Email us your thought: today@bbc.co.uk
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