I wish the problems in my country Lebanon would stop

I wish the problems in Lebanon would stop. The wars and violence.

I was seven years old in the 2006 war. I remember I woke up in the middle of the night because I could hear missiles. My mother wasn’t there, she was at the neighbour’s. She came home screaming, shouting ‘it’s war!’. I said ‘no, it’s fireworks’, she said ‘no, it’s Israel bombing’. Now every time I hear the sound of fireworks I get upset.

When I was little we lived in our village, in the south. Then we came to the city. I know it very well now. I love my village — I love the mountains, the houses, the views..

In Beirut, I love the sea and the rocks. I don’t like the crowdedness and the traffic jams.

This is the view from the roof of my house.

Ali attends a centre run by Christian Aid’s local partner Mouvement Social, which provides a safe space for Syrian refugee and Lebanese children — many of whom are unable to access formal education. They give children like Ali access to recreational, educational and psychological support. To donate to our Syria Crisis Appeal and to support vital work like this, please visit our website.