Defying Oblivion
A mother and her three children had been inside the house, in the middle of their Suhoor meal, preparing themselves to fast the following day. While I finished the report, the crew headed to the hospital. The mother and her son had been torn to pieces; the two daughters were in a critical condition. The father, Ali, had been out working. When he heard what had happened, he rushed home. He was in such a state of shock that he was unable to speak a single word. After a bloody night and a horrifying day, the crew returned to the bureau. But I could barely edit the report. It was too difficult to convey what we had seen in words. I tried my best to remain objective and professional, while standing on the side of the truth and human values.
All I can say is that to see a tragedy is not the same as to hear about it. To this day, that terrifying scene, along with dozens of others I witnessed during my coverage of the war in Yemen, is still carved into my memory. They refuse to fade into oblivion.
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