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Crisis in Lebanon - 26th March 2021

The catastrophic situation in Lebanon is forcing US-trained emergency doctor Nour al-Jalbout to depart from her homeland, within two years of her return, despite desperately wanting to serve her people.

Nour was working in August when tonnes of fertiliser exploded in the nearby port.

Nour: "I have the most noble job – when I'm doing it, and I'm doing the best I can. [And then came] August 4 – I was here and the ceiling fell off on us."

She later discovered that her own flat had been badly affected by the disaster.

Nour: "I mean, we're known for our resilience, it's kind of, of a double-edged sword. Like, the Lebanese resilience, I'm like fed up of being resilient. I don't want to live this life anymore, you know. I want to live a decent life and not be having to face a bomb, and civil riots, and war every like couple of years – it's heart-breaking."

Experiencing its worst economic crisis since the civil war 30 years ago, Lebanon has been overwhelmed. Multiple crises have been caused by the pandemic, civil unrest, corruption and political instability.

Doctors’ earnings have plummeted, savings are inaccessible, and even hospitals lack funding for vital drugs.

Nour: "So, every month there's a medication that's essential that is out of stock. So, it goes back and forth until we get the money and then get the supplies. Oh, he needs to be midlined."

Through no choice of her own, Nour will be joining hundreds of other doctors making the heart-breaking decision to pursue careers elsewhere. This leaves Lebanon, once famed as ‘the hospital of the Middle East’, devoid of its brightest talent.

But Nour will not leave without regret.

Nour: "For me Beirut is like opium, [they call it "afiun" in Arabic]. You are, you're addicted to it but it's so bad for you, it's toxic. So [my love for Beirut is like this] this bad relationship that's not good for me and I have to just get out."