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13 August 2024

Lebanon: Nothing About This Is Normal – OpEd

Nadia Samet-Warren

A Lebanese friend and colleague once told me, “Our skin is thicker than that of a crocodile.”

And it’s true. Any type of conflict and instability you can think of, Lebanon has experienced it. Colonisation, invasion and attack; civil and proxy wars, economic collapse and political assassinations, not to mention regional turmoil and vast influxes of refugees. In recent years – amid continued political paralysis and economic collapse, compounded by the devastating port explosion four years ago – day-to-day life in Lebanon has been almost impossible.

Yet throughout it all, ordinary Lebanese people have remained incredibly strong willed and resilient.

And now, as tensions soar in the region, I am reminded again of this amazing defiance in the face of adversity. I’ve seen it for myself in my many visits over the years, with friends refusing to have evening plans derailed by a window-rattling explosion or city-wide power outages.

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