After the stroke of midnight, the Bulgarian and Romanian interior ministers symbolically raised a barrier on the Friendship Bridge straddling the Danube River
world1 day ago
Israeli bombardment of Lebanon forced Mohammed Fawaz and his family to flee so often that they finally moved many kilometres away to find respite in central Iraq.
"Wherever we went, danger followed," the 62-year-old white-haired Lebanese man said in the small town of Al Qassem, sitting with his wife and daughter.
"That's when I thought of Iraq. It was the only way I could see to escape the danger after we saw death with our own eyes."
Opposite the small house where they now live, beyond a road busy with traffic, tall palm trees emblematic of Iraq's Babylon province stretch as far as the eye can see.
According to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, more than 19,200 Lebanese have arrived in Iraq since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon.
The Baghdad government and Shia religious authorities mobilised quickly to cope with the influx.
So did the Hashed Al Shaabi, an alliance of pro-Iran former paramilitary groups now integrated into Iraq's security forces.
Everyone turned out to welcome the refugees, helping them get to Iraq and also arranging accommodation.
The solidarity has highlighted the close ties between the Shia communities of both countries.
Iraq had always welcomed Lebanese pilgrims visiting its famous Shiite shrines at Karbala and Najaf.
But now the Baghdad government, in which pro-Iran parties dominate, is also willing to signal it stands staunchly by Lebanon in the wake of daily Israeli attacks on Hezbollah strongholds there.
Fawaz is originally from south Lebanon, and moved to the southern suburbs of Beirut before later moving again to the outskirts of the capital.
"We fled from place to place," the father of four said, bursting into tears when he spoke of relatives back in Lebanon.
"My displaced brothers now live in schools in different areas."
His journey to Iraq included a coach trip across Syria.
After a stopover in the Sayyida Zeinab area south of Damascus, home to a Shia shrine protected by pro-Iran groups, their entry to Iraq was coordinated by the Hashed Al Shaabi.
Fawaz hailed what he called "the best welcome" and Iraqi generosity, especially from his host, one of many Al Qassem residents who have opened their doors to Lebanese refugees.
He praised Iraq's government for "treating us like invited guests, not refugees".
The war in Lebanon has displaced at least 1.3 million people, according to the UN migration agency, and more than half-a-million have fled into neighbouring Syria.
Those who opted to stay often find themselves in makeshift and under-equipped shelters set up in schools.
In other areas, their presence can sometimes provoke unease or mistrust.
Iraq has made things easier for the new arrivals by extending visas. Those with no passports are helped out with new travel documents, in coordination with the Lebanese embassy.
The UNHCR says that some 62 per cent of the Lebanese arrivals are women and children, and that the children will be able to attend Iraqi schools.
Nearly half of the arrivals are being housed in Najaf and also Karbala, which is home to the gold-domed mausoleums of the Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas.
The religious authorities have taken over hotels previously reserved for pilgrims.
Jalal Assi, who is in his 40s, is now in Karbala.
"We had no alternative, and decided to come to Iraq," he said, citing the "facilities offered to Lebanese".
"We hope the situation will get better and security will be restored so we can go home," he added.
Neemat Mussa, 44, originally from the south Lebanese village of Hariss, is now living in the Babylon provincial capital Hilla.
She and her husband, their two daughters and an aunt are staying in a house owned by an Iraqi police officer.
When she does the family shopping she is driven there accompanied by a local benefactor who also foots the bill.
"We chose Iraq because it's a safe place where we are not afraid," she said in a tired voice. It is her first time in the country, although her husband came previously on pilgrimage.
The warmth of Iraq's welcome cannot mask the bitterness of exile.
Mussa has lost her cousin and sister-in-law in the war, and she follows the news intently on her phone.
She weeps when she talks of their loss and of the country to which she longs to return.
"I'm in a comfortable home, and the Iraqis make sure we lack for nothing," she said, adding: "When I got sick, they took me to hospital."
"But I miss my house and my own country, my neighbours and my family. That's my real home."
After the stroke of midnight, the Bulgarian and Romanian interior ministers symbolically raised a barrier on the Friendship Bridge straddling the Danube River
world1 day ago
At least 76 deaths were recorded in about 20 accidents last year, making it the deadliest year for migrants who are taking ever greater risks to evade Britain's border control
world1 day ago
The revolutionary song
world1 day ago
Riyadh's air bridge will be followed by another land bridge in the coming days, says KSrelief's top official Abdullah Al Rabeeah
world1 day ago
Reporters Without Borders ranked Syria second-last on its 2024 World Press Freedom Index, ahead only of Eritrea and behind Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
world1 day ago
The world welcomed the New Year with celebrations and festivities, while we witnessed 2025 begin with the first Israeli massacre in the town of Jabalia just after midnight, says Gaza official
world1 day ago
With time zones spanning the globe, 2025 arrived at different times in various countries, creating a staggered celebration around the world
world2 days ago
Humanitarian agencies repeatedly warn that not enough aid was reaching Palestinians in need due in part to looting as well as Israeli restrictions
world2 days ago