Halifax-Lebanese community gripped with fear amid Middle East conflict

Lebanese Canadians watch and worry about their home country as the war in the Middle East escalates.

Maritimers with ties to Lebanon are gripped with fear and worry for their homeland and their loved ones in the Middle East as thousands flee their homes and seek shelter.

“It’s very painful for us to see the destruction and the human loss and, you know, it’s like, deja vu for us,” says Wadih Fares, the honorary consul of Lebanon in Halifax.

He says people in the Lebanese community are doing their best to stay in touch with loved ones back home.

“The displacement of people has affected everybody because there are a lot more than there were before…some of the families are more concerned than others.”

But he says the community in Nova Scotia has support.

“We are very strong, we support each other. We reach out to each other and make sure that we can help anyone who needs help, needs assistance,” he says. “Lebanese people are resilient. However, there is a limit for endurance.”

Fares hopes government support is backed with action.

“I’ll definitely call on our federal government and our provincial government to do whatever is possible, to put the pressure that they can try and stop this war and offer the support to our country in Lebanon.”

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