BEIRUT, Lebanon - Migrant workers are stranded in Lebanon amid increased conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, compelling the foreigners to evacuate if they can or to seek emergency shelter. Among those trapped is Sami Sine who moved to Lebanon from Sierra Leone three years ago for employment opportunities. Sine was living with a family as a housekeeper in Beirut’s southern suburbs until a recent Israeli strike hit the house. Her employer’s family fled for safety, but Sine had no choice but to stay in the Lebanese capital. "The first time when the bombs started, we went to a hotel to sleep. We took two days, [but] they weren’t coming home,” she told Rudaw on Wednesday. “[After] two days, we go to the home. The last bomb now exploded the house - everything came down, ruining everything.” Along with hundreds of other migrant workers from Africa, the mother of two children stays in a shelter provided by Lebanese and international humanitarian organizations. "We now have 192 Sierra Leonean women and six babies,” said Lea Ghorayeb, a humanitarian activist. “We found them on the streets... they were sleeping there because they had no homes to go to anymore.” Some of the migrant workers say their employers - companies or the homeowners themselves - did not provide assistance before leaving. "No, she didn't help me...” Sine said, explaining that the woman she was working for just left. “They told us that they will go to their friends." Other migrant workers also expressed that they feel betrayed by their employers. "Because of too much bombing, my madam traveled to London and they leave me here," said Aline Korin, a worker from Sierra Leone The women explained that their employers often hold their passports and other documents, so they are not even sure how to get help. "This is the first time that I see a bomb with my two eyes," Sine said, adding that she just collapsed into a coma. Caught in the year-long crossfire between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel, foreign workers are struggling to access emergency housing. Shelters supported by the United Nations and non-governmental organizations already are overwhelmed by internally-displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees. Life for those stuck in Lebanon has deteriorated in recent months, as Israel has increased its air strikes and operations into the country. "Every time they bombed close to us, I told them that I want to go…” said Kamy Koroma, a migrant worker from Sierra Leone. “My passport is in the madam's house," she lamented. While the exact number of foreign workers stranded in Lebanon is unknown, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported last month that around 177,000 migrants are in the country. Sierra Leone, Kenya, the Philippines, and Bangladesh have urged their nationals to register to evacuate, but the process has been slow and complicated by the missing travel documents or passports. "So the goal here is to help the ones who want to travel back to their country, travel,” explained Ghorayeb, the humanitarian activist. “And the ones who can't afford to leave the country even though there's a war happening here, to help them find new jobs and maybe homes together, and maybe we can help them find cheap apartments and safer areas,” she added. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimated in October that 1.2 million people in Lebanon have been displaced due to conflict. Names of sources changed for confidentiality.
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