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Concern Worldwide’s Tania Khalil was in Beirut when a massive chemical explosion ripped through the heart of the Lebanese capital earlier this month.
Over 150 people were killed and 6,000 injured in the giant blast which originated in the city’s port. It was caused by a fire near a vast store of ammonium nitrate that had been allowed to rot for years in a warehouse at the site.
Here, Tania recalls what happened on the day, how she worried for the safety of her family and why it changed her life forever.
I started working with Concern Worldwide (UK) in February 2020 as part of their Major Donor team in their London office. I was fortunate enough to have the chance to visit Concern’s programmes in Northern Lebanon before starting my role in London.
Seeing the fieldwork first hand was a transformative experience, one that made all the difference in my commitment to join Concern’s global movement to end extreme poverty.
However, just a month into my new position, the Covid-19 pandemic worsened in the UK forcing us all to lockdown and work from home. Being Lebanese and having grown up in Beirut, I flew back to work from there.
A few months went by and as my work as a fundraiser continued I could see how vital it is to raise funds for Concern to deliver life-changing programmes. However, on 4 August, my life as I knew it changed forever.
My family and I were caught up in the world’s biggest non-nuclear blast ever recorded. I am grateful to be at my desk today, as many of my friends are in intensive care in hospital and may not live to tell their story.
The day of the blast
I was working with my colleague in a café in Beirut – an ancient city scarred by war, but one that is vibrant, welcoming, and teeming with life. Around 5.40 pm, I ordered an Uber to bring me to meet my father for a sunset drink by the sea.
When we arrived, I tipped the driver (as one does in this city). He smiled, thanked me on behalf of his young ones, and off he went. As I walked towards the sea, I spotted my father.
All of a sudden, I heard the sound of an aircraft rushing towards us -VRRRRRRR – not like a passenger plane flying, but much closer, much faster.
The ground beneath me started to shake and I screamed, “It’s an earthquake!” A woman next to me pulled her daughter from the water and screamed “Its war!”
I heard ‘BOOM’ and fell to the floor as a pink mushroom cloud began spreading above me, eating the city alive. Memories of a double-bomb I barely survived in 2008 resurfaced.
Around me, shattered glass was flying from neighbouring buildings, children were in tears and my father was panicking about my brother’s whereabouts, but all I could think about was my mom, and that this was the end. I could feel it in my gut. An overwhelming feeling of acceptance washed over me, and I said a little prayer.
Now, everyone around me was panicking and I seemed more peaceful in comparison – I picked up my broken phone and sent my mom a voice note thinking that she was away from the blast. “Mom, I’m safe, I’m safe. Are you?”
For 45 minutes, I did not hear from her. I called home, no answer. People around us were terrified, not sure whether to move or stay. There we were, the famously resilient Lebanese people caught in yet another injustice.
Once I was able to connect to the internet and follow the news, it became clear that where I was standing had made the difference between life and death.
Mom finally answered the phone; she was being carried home and a doctor was on his way to attend to her injuries – small particles of shattered glass under her skin, particularly around her legs, feet and hands because she fell to the floor during the blast – I was not to worry.
Thankfully, all my family survived and were ok. However, the following day, my mom buried her best friend.
Alive for a reason
Some people say they escaped death, but I feel like it was death that escaped me – and if I am alive today, it is for a reason. As a 29-year-old Lebanese woman, I survived this.
In 2005, while on my way back from a school trip, I survived the blast that brought Lebanon to its knees. In 2006, I survived a war that destroyed my country and fled to neighbouring Syria for shelter.
In the years to follow, I survived a series of bombings and assassinations that killed many people in Lebanon. By working with Concern, I can make a difference to those that have also been affected by tragedies such as this, as well as other humanitarian crises across the world.
Concern is responding to the explosion, distributing shelter and dignity kits to the families affected. It has launched an appeal to raise more money so that we can reach more people.
Being here on the ground, I can tell you that the team in Lebanon haven’t had a moment of rest since the blast, working around the clock to ensure that no home, and no person, is left without essentials. I want to show respect and appreciation for my colleagues in Lebanon.
I may not know the reason I am alive today, but what I do know is that life is short, and it is what you make of the time you have on this earth that really matters.
Help someone in need every single day. To support Concern’s Lebanon Emergency Appeal visit www.concern.net or phone 1850 410 510.
Tania Khalil works with Concern Worldwide.
Lunatic is derived from Latin and means effected by the moon or moonstruck
When I saw the headline all I could think of was the Irish government, I took this line from the article above, so it really does apply to Leinster House.
“will have particular relevance for people with intellectual disabilities, older people with diminished capacity or dementia”
Working in a pub for ten years you always knew when there’s a full moon when the same people start acting up.. It does exist.
Totally agree. The school principal where I was at boarding school became completely unhinged around full moons. I still remember how nuts he was, 40-plus years later.
Midwives say the same thing, the delivery ward goes crazy on a full moon.
With the growth of SF I think we might be better keeping the lunacy laws in place
So you’re advocating keeping the status quo Tom Kenny?
Yeh I think you’re right… Let’s keep it, just for you
I’m advocating a smile Jon
I wonder in another 144 years will intellectual disability be a taboo word.
It may well be. Who are we to label anyway.
Yes. There are already people offended by it. I’ve gotten pulled up for referring to my son an autistic and intellectually disabled. Some want differently abled or person with Autism, as if it’s something that can be detatched and left at home when necessary. It shouldn’t define them, they say. For people like my son it does. It defines every action, every choice, every moment of every day. I am not prepared to pretend otherwise because someone may find that upsetting.
They are just words, and labels to distinguish.
Political correctness, a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. A name is a name, the reality still exists that the name describes.
Ridiculous really
Tell that to my intellectually disabled big brother, who at 48 still comes home in tears sometimes because of the latest non-politically-correct label that liberated kids and adults feel feel to yell at him. Political correctness has its uses.
He’s your son. Call him whatever you feel comfortable with. How dare anyone tell you otherwise.
This is just rearranging the deckchairs with more “acceptable” words.
.
“Intellectual disability” equates to old fashioned “stupid”.
Words like “Lunatic” and “madman” and “psychopath” etc. etc.are nowadays called “Paranoid Delusional” or “Severe Dementia” or other medical sounding words.
.
Those phenomena still exist.
Only the words have changed.
So will people with intellectual disabilities finally be legally able to own property now? I think there is still work to be done in this area but this us a start. This country is still a place where elderly parents are afraid of their disabled adult children surviving them.
It is legal today but they must have capacity. When this law commences they can be supported to enter into any contract. (Except marriage)
I used to be a lunatic but I’m all right nowoooooooo, wuf wuf.
So that’s one 144 year old piece of out dated law that was on the books, is there more?
One wonders if the elected “Adults” could stop acting like spoiled children screaming abuse across the Dáil at each other and actually do the job they’re paid to do and enact good modern Legislation that would bring this country into the 21st century.
So Enda Kenny is safe now.
It kind of looks like the old woman in that pic is about to explode some dynamite….lunatic…
I didn’t think FG and Lab were around since 1871.
Will you still have to go to high court to get the joint decision court order This is a very expensive process involving several barristers
Nope… One barrister, fee would be about 150 to move the wardship application.
No. A new body called the Decision Support Service attached to the Mental Health Commission take the bulk of the applications, some will go to circuit court & some very limited to High Court.
There will be legal did. Check out http://www.inclusionireland.ie/
No. Queen Victoria was though & this law dates from then. Successive governments failed to act before now
Lunatic..always loved that word.
Can someone who was a ward of court now marry?
Once they are discharged from Wardship they can. The Marriage of Lunatics Act 1811 is also repealed
Euthanasia is on its way???
What are you talking about?
This has nothing to do with Euthanasia & will actually give people MORE say about end of life care
Actually Sarah I was thinking about euthanasia as well. If someone lays down a request that should they be existing under such circumstances that they would prefer to be euthanised, and the authorities open their declaration to see how they wished to be treated what happens? If it is an end of life care issue and they chose that they wanted to have their life ended what happens? This doesn’t lead to euthanasia but it puts the law in a very odd situation.
Anyone can put in place an enduring power of attorney to specify how they wish to be cared for should they lose their capacity to manage their own affairs. Wardship arises when a person loses capacity, and a third party initiates the process. The person’s interests are carefully protected by the detail of the process, to prevent abuse.
What you can’t do by any process is specify something that is illegal under Irish law, as euthanasia is at present.
EPA’s aren’t used for healthcare decisions. New law allows for Advance Healthcare Decisions where I decide today what care I want in the future
Yes they are, if worded accordingly. Section 6 of the 1996 act, personal care decisions. The donor of the power can specify any power they wish. It’s the correct process for a person with an illness where the prognosis is poor as far as capacity goes. I’ve worked on several of them.
That was a joke really, but 16 didn’t get that…
Because there was a protester outside Leinster House saying just that.
You can’t put in anything that is against the law, i.e. You cannot precipitate death but you could withhold nutrition / hydration etc in an advance directive. As any individual could if they were competent at the time.
have your say