Father of five, Jaafar shares with
Sputnik the difficulties of raising children in constant danger, he has to explain his kids what's going on, and what he feels as a Lebanese
looking at all the disaster.
Jaafar, a successful blogger, runs the popular YouTube channel
Maria & Cataleya. Several videos capturing the heavy air raids on Beirut, filmed by his wife Jinan, have gone viral across social media. Jaafar shared that he encouraged Jinan to record these moments to show the world the harsh reality of
what was happening in Beirut these days.
As the situation in Lebanon continues to escalate, the constant air raids have stretched on for nearly two agonizing weeks. Jaafar shared that the last two nights in Beirut were especially brutal, filled with fear and destruction. He admitted that even worse bombings are likely still to come.
Nevertheless, Jaafar is not planning to flee his home with his family, even though they live near the Dahiyeh area—the most heavily
bombed district in Beirut. However, he does have an emergency plan in place to protect his children.
Jaafar has prepared an evacuation plan, ready for when the time comes, but his family is paralyzed by trauma. “Maybe one day we will move all together out of this area when it would not be safe enough,” he acknowledges, with his voice heavy under a burden no parent should bear.
Being a father of 5 children, Jaafar tries to do his best to explain his children the situation and provide support they need - according to kids' age.
Jaafar feels it’s his duty to help his family make sense of the chaos. His older sons are starting to understand the grim political
realities unfolding in Lebanon, but his younger daughters? They just need hugs, he says, they need to see their parents – strong and unbroken, guiding them through the nightmare.
“This what we can make it as a father and mother to support our children,” he concludes.
As the IDF expands its targeting, the number of displaced people is growing. “You never know where [Israel] will bomb next,” Jaafar says. “People are forced to move, again and again,” he noted, uprooted with no warning or no time to prepare.
The toll is staggering. The number of displaced families grows daily. According to the Lebanese government, 1.2 million people have been forced from their homes by Israeli airstrikes, their lives shattered, and left to wander in search of safety.
Jaafar describes the devastation to the city. His aunt, his father’s sister, lost everything – her house, her belongings, everything she had built over the years. “But she’s safe,” he says, as hope for the better is the only solace in the
world falling apart around them.
At the same time, it's hard for Jaafar as a Lebanese to describe deep emotions he feels right now.
Jaafar believes that the unity among the
Lebanese people, across all regions and faiths, is their greatest strength. "
This is our strongest weapon against the enemy," he concluded.