Lebanese Architect Sara Jaafar Shares Her Story and Calls on the World to Remember Beirut

By Scoop Team On Aug 25, 2020

Immediately after the explosion that took place in Beirut on the 4th of August, the entire world was focused on rebuilding Lebanon and assisting the Lebanese people in dealing with the catastrophe. Now, after a few weeks, the world has diverted its attention to other global concerns and the people of Lebanon are still struggling. And as the media began focusing on other issues, people across the globe have become preoccupied with their own lives, yet Lebanon still remains desperate for all the help it can get.

Sara Jaafar is one of the thousands of people who lost their homes. Through a heartbreaking post on Instagram, she explained how, along with many others in Lebanon, she lost almost everything in an instant, and is now left with no government, a bankrupt economy, and no one to take responsibility for the damage. Jaafar is calling on the global community to continue talking about Lebanon so they aren’t forgotten.

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My first personal post ever was on August seventh, three days after a near nuclear bomb exploded our lives forever. I’m kind of an introvert that does not seek attention, never really revealing who I really was and always trying to be in the background. I didn’t feel like who I was was relevant in any way. But what was acceptable before August fourth is no longer valid. So i will make it personal. This is my story. My name is Sara Jaafar, I’m a graduate of the @architecturalassociation, I worked at @officialheatherwickstudio before deciding I wanted to come back home. While I was abroad, I worked so hard on my apartment in order to have a home upon returning. And now, I’ll probably not have a home for the next 2 years at least; that is if we can even afford to rebuild it. Today, I find myself unable to design or to think about design – or about anything else for that matter. All I can think about is the 04.08.2020 Beirut bombing that killed 200 people with 52 still missing, injured 6000, displaced 300,000 people and caused 15 billion dollars in damages. It also destroyed a huge part of our heritage – that we had been trying to save from the hands of developers and the corrupt government/politicians for decades. All gone in an instant. And we are alone. No responsible president/ no government / rampant corruption by ruling class / Bankrupt country / Inflation / Bank deposits taken hostage and the list goes on… But the whole world seems to have moved on and we’re already out of the headlines and I refuse to accept that reality. Please don’t stop talking about lebanon 🇱🇧 #talkaboutlebanon I didn’t like going out much. I loved spending time at home, having friends at home, parties at home and as of February – I also worked from home. Here are some of my memories scattered all around what was once my home. #wewillneverforget #04082020

A post shared by 1millimetre (@1millimetre) on Aug 23, 2020 at 4:12am PDT

“I didn’t like going out much. I loved spending time at home, having friends at home, parties at home and as of February – I also worked from home. Here are some of my memories scattered all around what was once my home,” was part of what she said in her post.

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We see the world beginning to move on from Beirut, leaving it to struggle by itself. Why is our tragedy already slipping from the headlines? The Beirut explosion is STILL one of the largest in recorded history. Hundreds of thousands are STILL living in windowless homes. Hospitals are STILL overwhelmed. Survivors are STILL struggling with the trauma. Children are STILL asking how they ended up with stitches all across their tiny faces. Peoples’ bodies STILL haven’t healed from being pierced by flying shards of glass. Owners of destroyed small businesses are STILL left with no source of income. The government STILL hasn’t lifted a finger to help. We’re STILL far from being granted an independent investigation, and we STILL don’t have answers. This is A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS. We need you, more than ever, to #TalkAboutLebanon. The road to justice is long, and the loss of international attention so soon puts us at risk of never reaching the truth. Photography by: @ihabfayad and @tarekmoukaddem – #impactlebanon #lebanesediaspora #diaspora #lebanon #impact #beirutexplosion #relief

A post shared by Impact Lebanon (@impact.lebanon) on Aug 22, 2020 at 11:00am PDT

There are several organizations accepting donations to Lebanon, in addition to citizens and residents who have initiated fundraisers to support the Lebanese community. Donate to Lebanon and help them stand back up.

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Lebanon Needs You And This Is How You Can Help!