We went on a tour of hospitals with Lebanese health minister Firas Abyad to view their disaster plans and learn about their measures in case of a severe incident.
The minister informed us that part of what we are doing is ensuring that our hospitals are prepared to receive patients and casualties and that measures are put in place in these various locations in the event that there is a significant number of internally displaced people.
Despite already running out of government funding as a result of a number of recent crises, he claimed they had identified important locations for mass evacuations and attempted to support the country’s health system.
These include the massive explosion at Beirut Port four years ago, the coronavirus outbreak, and the economic collapse.
Although most of the people we spoke to in Lebanon are increasingly gloomy about the chance of a resolution to the intensifying confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah, the country cannot afford a war at this time.
The two weeks ago, in Tehran and Beirut, major leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah were assassinated, raising the collective blood pressure in Lebanon.
Although Israel has not acknowledged nor denied being involved in the assassination of Hamas leadership leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran and Hezbollah are holding Israel accountable for both bombs.
