An Iranian expat in Hong Kong, Behzad Mirzaei, is living through what he calls a "horror" and "nightmare" as the Middle East conflict cuts him off from family back home. With internet outages and safety fears, he’s lost contact with loved ones—including his stranded mother—and the stress has left him sleepless. As founder of Hong Kong’s Persian Club, his anguish mirrors a wider crisis for diaspora communities suddenly disconnected from those in the crisis zone.

Editor’s Note: Wars aren’t just far-off headlines—they ripple globally, yanking families apart across borders. For migrants, the terror isn’t just watching the news; it’s the helplessness of dead phone lines and not knowing if your mom made it to shelter. This story puts a human face on how conflicts fracture lives far beyond the battlefield.