Mohammed Ahmed Abdel Qader, a 32-year-old Sudanese man, embodies the struggles of a generation chased by war from the banks of the Nile to the shores of the Mediterranean. He left Sudan to escape the hell of conflict and settled in Lebanon, where he hoped for money, work, and safety.
Mohammed settled in the Lebanese capital, specifically in its southern suburbs, moving between hard jobs until he found work as a guard for one of the buildings. There, he built a modest life and married an Ethiopian woman who shared his dream of returning to his village in Sudan once the sounds of cannons faded. The couple lived on hope, waiting for a better time.
Details of the Event
However, the tranquility did not last long, as the cycle of violence followed him to his refuge. The war in Lebanon erupted in 2024, forcing Mohammed and his wife to flee from the suburbs to a friend’s house in Hamra. It was extremely difficult due to the lack of money after he lost his job because of the war.
The couple endured the pain of displacement for 66 days before rushing back to the building where they had worked upon the announcement of a ceasefire, believing that stability had returned to their lives, especially after the birth of their first child, Abdel Qader. But fragmentation and displacement awaited them once more in Ramadan 2026, when war broke out in Lebanon again after 15 months of cessation.
Mohammed fled with his wife and child at dawn from the suburbs as Israeli airstrikes began, and the question arose: where would they go at night? They headed back to their friend’s house in Hamra, feeling angry about the return of war after such a short period. Of course, there was no salary again due to the war, and Mohammed Ahmed's current concern was finding a safe place for his family, but as he says, there is no safe area in Lebanon now.
Background & Context
Mohammed Ahmed's story reflects the suffering of many refugees who have been forced to leave their homelands due to armed conflicts. The war in Sudan erupted on the morning of Saturday, April 15, 2023, when violent clashes began in the capital, Khartoum, quickly spreading to other cities and states due to a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
Such scenarios are repeated in many Arab countries, where armed conflicts lead to the displacement of populations, exacerbating humanitarian and economic crises in host countries.
Impact & Consequences
These wars profoundly affect individuals' lives, as many lose their homes and jobs, forcing them to live in harsh conditions. Mohammed Ahmed and his wife are a living example of this, as they live in a state of uncertainty, looking forward to a better future despite all the challenges.
Their suffering transcends borders, becoming part of a larger humanitarian crisis affecting the entire region, where neighboring countries are struggling with an influx of refugees, increasing pressure on resources and services.
Regional Significance
Mohammed Ahmed's story is emblematic of the significant impact wars have on Arab communities. As conflicts increase, so do the numbers of displaced persons and refugees, necessitating urgent humanitarian responses from the international community.
Wars continue to create successive humanitarian crises, raising concerns about the future of upcoming generations and making it essential to work towards achieving peace and stability in the region.
Despite the harshness and pain that Mohammed has experienced twice in Lebanon, and despite the unextinguished fires of war in his homeland, he remains stuck in a limbo of waiting, clinging to a thin thread of hope that stability will one day return, allowing him to take his child Abdel Qader back to the homeland he has never forgotten.