Family Shelters During Airstrikes
A Scottish man and his wife residing in Qatar concealed themselves in a cupboard and reassured their young children that the sounds of missiles were merely thunder during the initial airstrikes of the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
Alex Demianczuk, 46, and his American wife Christina Paschyn, 40, have been living in Doha since 2011 and have two children aged four and six.
The couple, originally from Edinburgh and Cleveland, Ohio, respectively, have been taking shelter since the outbreak of hostilities.
They have since explained to their children that the noises are due to "countries fighting" and expressed hope that the war will conclude "as soon as possible."
Escalation of Regional Crisis
The region's crisis intensified following the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an attack on Saturday.
Subsequently, missile and drone strikes were launched by the US and Israel after negotiations over Iran's nuclear program collapsed.
Iran retaliated with a series of rocket and missile attacks targeting neighboring countries.
Initial Experience of the Conflict
Paschyn recounted to BBC Scotland News:
"The first two days were more intense. You would get the constant waves of missiles, and you could hear the explosions. We told the kids that it was a big thunderstorm. I know it sounds ridiculous."
She described an incident during a dance class with her daughter when she received a notification from the US Embassy about Israel's attack on Iran, prompting them to seek shelter.
"I was at a dance class with my daughter when the notification came in from the US Embassy on my phone that Israel attacked Iran and it was time to shelter. So I grabbed her and said it's a big thunderstorm and we have to get home."
The couple maintained this explanation for their children during the initial days of the conflict.
"We finally told them the truth yesterday, in a child-friendly way, so they're aware," she said. "And they were like 'where's the rain?' We explained it's like countries fighting, they're having a bad fight, but we're staying safe in our house, to make sure nothing happens to us."
Family's Perspective on Safety and Anxiety
Demianczuk described the situation as "surprisingly quite calm actually," though acknowledging occasional anxiety.
"Things are a bit out of our control at the minute," he added. "We've got to try to stay as calm as possible for our kids, so they're not getting overly stressed out and anxious. It seems to be the Qataris are doing their job and intercepting the missiles, so we're feeling pretty safe."
The couple have observed missile interceptor trails from their home.
Children's Understanding and Daily Life
Demianczuk commented on their children's reaction to the situation:
"The children seemed ok but at their age I don't think they quite fully comprehend the severity of everything. They're just happy that they're off school, and having extended screen time I guess. Day-to-day living is being inside the house. A lot of it is pacing up and down."
Paschyn described the nighttime as the most frightening period, fearing missile strikes would likely occur then.
"It's scary when the explosions do happen, and then we run to the pantry, without any windows," she said. "One precaution we are taking, as soon as they fall asleep, we bring [the children] back into our room so we are all together. You're afraid to go outside because of the explosions. It could get a lot worse."
She concluded with a hope for peace:
"We're all just hoping for this war to end as soon as possible."
