A pharmacy in Beirut. (Credit: Lyana Alameddine/L'OLJ)
From behind the counter, Tarek* watches on Wednesday the steady flow of cars. His pharmacy, located along the highway at the northern exit of Beirut, offers a unique vantage point.Open around the clock, it serves a constant stream of customers as people stop by after work, head home from the airport or after a night out. There are no neighborhood regulars or typical clientele.Instead, the pharmacy offers a front-row seat to the country’s upheavals. As Israeli evacuation orders on the South and Beirut's southern suburbs intensify, they also displace hundreds of thousands of people, forced to flee north. The rhythm of the pharmacy reflects the turbulent life of a country shaken by recurring crises.Outside, traffic has resumed. The blue sky and steady stream of cars almost make it possible to forget the war still raging on. In the...
From behind the counter, Tarek* watches on Wednesday the steady flow of cars. His pharmacy, located along the highway at the northern exit of Beirut, offers a unique vantage point.Open around the clock, it serves a constant stream of customers as people stop by after work, head home from the airport or after a night out. There are no neighborhood regulars or typical clientele.Instead, the pharmacy offers a front-row seat to the country’s upheavals. As Israeli evacuation orders on the South and Beirut's southern suburbs intensify, they also displace hundreds of thousands of people, forced to flee north. The rhythm of the pharmacy reflects the turbulent life of a country shaken by recurring crises.Outside, traffic has resumed. The blue sky and steady stream of cars almost make it possible to forget the war still raging on. In the...