Amal Yarisi, Sana’a/Yemen, 28 years old, journalist
“I live in a war-torn country with a health system that is located on the ground, and with a lot of people with weak immune systems. Of course, all this scares me. So many people are sick – Cholera, diphtheria and many other diseases can not be treated here. We don’t even have adequate ways to test people on the Coronavirus. Also in the labs, the employees are not sufficiently trained to identify the Virus at all. We don’t know how many Infected are there at all. In a country where war prevails, the possibilities for a Virus to contain, very low. We also have no curfew, most of the people are day labourers and have to work. The pandemic should spread to here, then I fear for the worst. Then very many people will die here.”
Loreen Msallam, Bethlehem/Palestinian territory, 37 years, economist
“The Situation is really not easy and I feel worry. If it should worsen the Situation in the us, then there is no sufficient medical care. I can see how it goes in other countries, which actually have a better health system than we have here. We ask ourselves, how long we stay locked up. Life is at a standstill. Even though I’m really proud of how the Palestinian authority deals with it. She has the same, everything is closed, and a curfew imposed. That probably works so well because we lock output, which were imposed by Israeli governments, already know. So it’s nothing New for us to stay at home. But this Situation is different. How long is this going to go? And what worries us is that the Palestinian day labourers working in Israel, should all be brought back to the West Bank – untested. It is feared that many could be infected, because it has already been given in such cases. A total of 45,000 workers to come back. Our Palestinian authority is preparing, want to put some in quarantine, but that will not work for so many people. I hope, it will pass all to quickly – I want my life back!”
Faten Jebai, Lebanese residing in Doha/Qatar, 28 years old, video journalist/media trainer
“I arrived in Doha, was just five days into my new Job and had been in quarantine. For me, a challenge: I have not been able to explore the city I live in now, yet. To be In Doha, but it also means that I financially at least safe am as in Lebanon – at least that is my impression. In Lebanon, the economy is down, the health care industry. I am therefore my family great concern. Doha is not populated, fortunately as tight, and has already set early in the public transport and the air traffic stopped. Nevertheless, I look out the window, and there are still people who go to work and the sites are still in operation. Qatar should be more strict, I think. This uncertainty of not knowing what is yet to come, makes me to create. I’m working on, but of course I don’t know how long that will be. I’m a freelancer, and also the media industry is set to experience cuts. I wish me a scientific miracle that ended this nightmare soon.”
Deema Deeb Abu Dalo, Amman, Jordan, 26 years old, master’s student, architecture:
“I am grateful that I am healthy and that I have enough space to go into quarantine. To me, nothing is missing. I have risen masks, gloves and disinfectants – but in the more socially deprived areas not all people are supplied and prices are strong. I’m but also Worry. I can’t leave the house for three weeks. I learn now new Design programs, to deal with me. Since I’m currently a Master’s degree, I don’t work. I don’t know how the quarantine will affect the duration of mentally for me. For several months I can’t stand it – also, when I imposed a curfew right and important find. I wish, however, that all citizens follow the rules, so that we can bring this together quickly behind us. Not everywhere in Jordan, the consciousness is that it is important to stay at home. My country does not have the capacity to supply a lot of sick people. Therefore, they rely on prevention, and that’s good.”
Sanaa (don’t want to mention her last name), Idlib/Syria, a 43 year-old NGO employee
“We are living since 2011 in the war. There are many living in tents is a shortage of everything, water, work. My husband, my son and I live in a small apartment, but everything is expensive. We need to regularly refill the water tank, otherwise, the hands washing is not possible. Although we are not allowed to gather on places, but here all the life anyway of the Hand in the mouth. The people must go out to earn a bit of money. The people strive, as far as it goes, to disinfect the hands when you go shopping or entering buildings. But we do not have enough masks, nor gloves nor disinfectant. In addition, there is a lack of the necessary money: In case of doubt, to the people for food decide, not for a disinfectant. My concern is that the Virus is spreading here and the world leaves us in the lurch.”
Selma Mahfoudh, Tunis/ Tunisia, 38 years old, Translator:
“I’m especially Worried about my mother, who lives in an area with poor medical care, but also to my four-year-old twins. The economy of Tunisia, was already in front of COVID-19 bad off. Those who have previously lived in poor conditions, will be made after the pandemic even worse. I am fortunately no longer in the home office in this respect, not much has changed for me. But I miss the nursery for my girls. It is not easy to may not with you go out. My husband and I overcome it together. I hope that we don’t have to live long with the output restriction. The sun is missing me and also the company of family and friends missing me very much.”
Ghina Mansour, Batroun, Lebanon, for 25 years, NGO employee
“The Situation is mentally stressful. The whole life is the Internet and most of the media know of no other topic more than Corona. You get no break and the focus is almost exclusively on negative issues. If I see that people in some areas in Lebanon, the output limitation seriously, then this causes me additional concern. As a result, we will need to live longer in this state. I am at a human rights organization and get a lot of suffering. Our government has taken the measures have also been taken by other countries – with the difference that the Lebanon slips from one crisis to the next, and we were standing in front of Corona in front of a national bankruptcy. Economic aid for people in Need here hardly possible.”
The Interviews conducted by Diana Hodali.
author: Diana Hodali
*The article “Coronavirus in the middle East: “I want to published my life”” is from Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.
Deutsche Welle
