Fearing Bombs, Thousands of Lebanese Flee, Taking Risky Route to Syria

DAMASCUS, SYRIA, July 20, 2006 — -- As Americans and other foreigners evacuate Lebanon by sea, natives of the region do not have that option. Instead, they are taking a much more difficult route fleeing by land to the east and into Syria.

"The trip here was really bad," Iman Khalil told us. "We didn't know if a bomb was going to come down and do away with us."

She is one of the 20,000 people who are now crossing the Lebanese-Syrian border daily.

Another woman told us she has "grandmas and grandpas" unable to make the trip.

"They're very old and we can't take them with us," she said. "We've got family there."

As the refugees arrive in Syria they're given food, water, medical attention and if they need it, a free ride into Damascus.

Nearly 500 people have taken refuge in Damascus at the school for the blind. The crowd is mainly women and children, they told us, because many of the men stayed in Lebanon to fight Israel.

Um Mohammed is here with her eight grandchildren but her son refused to flee with them. He joined Hezbollah instead.

"He said he doesn't want to be killed by the roof of his house falling on his head," she told us. "He would rather die fighting."

And if he dies fighting, Um Mohammed's son told her, please take care of his children.