The desperation that drove refugees from Lebanon to their deaths at sea

The desperation that drove refugees from Lebanon to their deaths at sea

Late one Saturday night towards the end of April, a boat set off to sea from near Lebanon’s second city, Tripoli. It was an ageing craft, nearly 50 years old, built to comfortably hold maybe a dozen people, at a push. But on this voyage it was carrying perhaps 60, maybe as many as 80.

Among those on board were Amid Dandachi, his wife and their three children. In all, around 22 members of the extended Dandachi family were on the boat. The family are from the suburb of Qibbe, one of Tripoli’s poorest neighbourhoods. And Tripoli is one of Lebanon’s poorest cities. With Lebanon's economic crisis ongoing they hoped heading west would offer them a better future

But only an hour or two after they left land, the boat was intercepted. Lebanese naval forces demanded it turn back. The boat’s helmsman tried to make a break for it but the navy crashed into the overcrowded craft towards the bow, splitting the hull. At least six people died and approximately 30 are still missing.

On this week's Beyond The Headlines, Finbar Anderson looks at the story of a tragic shipwreck off the coast of Tripoli, and how it’s an all too familiar fate for thousands of people trying to reach a better life in Europe.

Episoder(488)

Escalation or diplomacy: Where does the war go from here?

Escalation or diplomacy: Where does the war go from here?

In his address to the nation on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said the war with Iran was nearing its end and the US had decimated the country’s military capabilities. But parts of his speech contr...

3 Apr 24min

How much longer can Israel sustain the war it started?

How much longer can Israel sustain the war it started?

It has been a month since Israel, along with the US, launched strikes on Iran, leading the Middle East into yet another conflict it tried to avoid. Iran has responded by firing waves of missiles and d...

27 Mar 23min

What is the end goal of Israel’s new war in Lebanon?

What is the end goal of Israel’s new war in Lebanon?

About one million people have been forcibly displaced in Lebanon and almost a thousand killed in Israel’s renewed war with Hezbollah. The Iran-backed group fired missiles at Israel in early March, joi...

19 Mar 21min

Who will endure the highest cost of the Iran war?

Who will endure the highest cost of the Iran war?

US President Donald Trump said the American-Israeli war on Iran could end soon, without specifying an end date. But almost two weeks in, military operations only seem to be intensifying. The US claims...

13 Mar 21min

What happens if Iranian Kurdish groups enter the conflict?

What happens if Iranian Kurdish groups enter the conflict?

Conflicting reports have circulated in recent days about Iranian Kurdish groups possibly being armed by the US to launch a ground offensive in Iran. Many of these factions have long been exiled to the...

6 Mar 18min

How far will the conflict expand across the Middle East?

How far will the conflict expand across the Middle East?

Israel has begun a wave of strikes on Lebanon after warning residents in the south of the country to flee north of the Litani River on Wednesday. The forced displacement order impacts about 250,000 pe...

5 Mar 5min

What’s the goal of America's war on Iran?

What’s the goal of America's war on Iran?

Almost 2,000 targets in Iran have been hit by the US in the first four days of the war. US Central Command says it has severely degraded the country's air defences and destroyed hundreds of ballistic ...

4 Mar 6min

How much longer could the Iran conflict last?

How much longer could the Iran conflict last?

As the war on Iran enters its fourth day, Tehran’s retaliatory attacks on US assets in Arab countries ramp up, testing the limits of their patience. Recent remarks from US officials suggest a limited ...

3 Mar 6min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
stopp-verden
popradet
forklart
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
rss-ness
nokon-ma-ga
det-store-bildet
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-gukild-johaug
hanna-de-heldige
aftenbla-bla
fotballpodden-2
rss-dannet-uten-piano
rss-utenrikskomiteen-med-bogen-og-grasvik
e24-podden
bt-dokumentar-2
rss-garne-damer