Not Again
Kumu Gupta
Here we go again.... another Kuwait attack. This time, fortunately it's not my family ( parents) stuck there with no phone lines and the airport shut down, but unfortunately my classmates from childhood still living there.
It's not a full blown invasion like before, where people had to hide in the basement of their buildings to avoid Iraqi soldiers or no flights in and out leaving my brother stranded here in the US visiting us on summer vacation, but the constant sound of sirens going off warning of drone attacks and the airpor being actually hit by drones leaving fires and destruction, causing fear and panic amongst my friends and their families both far and near. And the reality of food shortage and safe drinking water from the desalination plant being hit being constant source of threat and worry .
Same is the case with my other classmates who are now in Dubai and Qatar.
There have been acts of kindness by community across the Gulf countries, opening up their homes and hearts to strangers, tourists and visitors stuck there, providing meals and place to sleep but with no clear picture of a safe end in sight, all we can do from far is pray for their safety and ask them to be safe receiving calls, live texts & videos of their daily, hourly well being amidst the chaos on Whatsapp.
Having grown up in Kuwait my whole childhood, I have been in a state of unsettled agony since the Gulf situation began, worried for my friends and the land that will always be my home, even though being away many years.
* Kumu Gupta was Special Advisor to National Desert Storm War Memorial Association ( Jan - August '07), helping build a memorial for the war veterans , slated to open in June this year in Washington D.C., as Thank You to US armed forces for liberating Kuwait.
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