Mohammad lives in a single room with his wife and three children. There’s no kitchen. No privacy. And for now, no way out.
Mohammad, 56I’m sick. I have constant back pain and need injections all the time. But I can’t find work to pay for them. I can’t give my family what they need.
Displaced from the Bekaa to Beirut by the recent conflict, Mohammad’s daily life is defined by scarcity and struggle. “War affects the poor and the old the most,” he says. “We were not afraid during the war – but it changed everything.”
When they arrived in Beirut, IDRAAC stepped in. “They gave us food, blankets, even some financial support. We’re very grateful.”
But the challenges persist. “We are five of us living in one room. What do I need now? Peace. Safety. A job. That’s all.”
Mohammad’s voice trembles when he speaks about growing older in Lebanon. “When we get old, we feel useless. There are no laws for older people. No financial support. No one to take care of us. Growing old here feels like a punishment.”
He doesn’t speak of dreams anymore, just survival.
“I don’t want anything for me. I want to secure my wife and children. I want them to live better than this.”
When asked if he still has hope, he pauses. “No. Not for me. I just hope to go back home. I just want to find a job. That’s all I ask.”