A Houston man is pleading for help to save his wife, who is trapped in war-torn Lebanon as violence escalates daily.
Ali Amine married his wife, Farah Abou Zeid, in February of this year, but the couple’s reunion has been put on hold due to her pending visa application.
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What started as a painful separation has now turned into a life-or-death situation as the conflict in Lebanon continues to worsen.
“Every time I talk to her, I don’t know if it’s going to be the last call or not,” said Amine, who described his wife narrowly escaping death multiple times in recent days. “The war has been going on for like nine months, but it wasn’t as dangerous as it is now.”
The situation in Lebanon has become increasingly more dangerous, with missile attacks, explosions, and collapsing buildings a part of daily life.
Amine shared that his wife was forced to flee with nothing but the clothes on her back when a bomb exploded near her home, shattering the windows and leaving them in fear for her safety.
“They lost communications with relatives,” he added. “They don’t know who’s alive and who’s dead.”
Despite the U.S. government’s urging for its citizens to evacuate Lebanon, Farah has no means to leave without her visa, and navigating the bureaucratic process in a country under siege is nearly impossible.
“Some of the things that she needs, like official papers, she can’t go and get because all those places are under attack,” Amine said.
Amine is now appealing to U.S. immigration officials to expedite her visa or grant her humanitarian parole so she can escape the increasingly dangerous situation. Humanitarian parole would allow Farah to enter the U.S. temporarily to ensure her safety while her visa application is processed.
“This is no longer just about reuniting with my wife—it is about saving her life,” said Amine. “The violence in Lebanon is out of control, and every day she remains there puts her at greater risk of harm or even death.”
Amine said that he hopes that by sharing their story, it will draw attention to the plight of those left behind in Lebanon and the urgency of bringing Farah to the U.S. before it’s too late.
“There is no safe place to be. Every ten minutes there are thousands of people dead, and families have lost contact with each other. It’s a disaster,” he said. Amine believes his only hope now is that someone will listen and help expedite his wife’s visa or offer a temporary humanitarian solution. “We need compassion and action now—her life depends on it.”