The situation in the Middle East threatens to escalate. Lebanon’s already battered health sector is facing another challenge.
Due to concerns about an escalation in the Middle East, hospitals in Lebanon are preparing for an emergency. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, hospitals in the economically troubled country have supplies for around four months.
“There are areas in which we are clearly not as well prepared as we would like to be,” said Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad to the German Press Agency. This particularly includes the mental health of the population. The daily stress level of the population is generally very tense.
This has increased again in recent days: “When Israeli fighter planes fly low over Beirut and break the sound barrier, it reminds the population of previous disasters: the civil war or the port explosion.” Although no one is physically harmed, the loud noises – which often sound like huge explosions – trigger psychological trauma. The people’s reactions show the level of anxiety they are struggling with.
Hospitals have “just enough”
According to Abiad, the health sector is already under pressure. Since 2019, the Mediterranean country has been in the worst economic crisis in its history. Due to the crisis, around 30 percent of doctors and nurses have already left the country. Many hospitals are only equipped with minimal supplies. “Some of them work with the principle of ‘just enough’,” says Abiad.
In addition, in the event of an escalation, ports or airports could also become targets and become out of service. If such a situation were to arise, the supplies of Lebanon’s largest public hospital, Rafik Hariri Hospital, would last for a maximum of ten days. If it were to be flooded with patients, the supplies could run out after just a few days, Director Jihad Saadeh told dpa.
After Israel killed Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut last week, the head of the Shiite militia, Hassan Nasrallah, announced retaliation. There are fears that Hezbollah, which operates in Lebanon, will launch an attack on Israel together with Iran. Iran and the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which is also allied with Tehran, also blame Israel for the killing of Hamas foreign chief Ismail Haniya in the Iranian capital. Israel has not yet made a public statement on this.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
