A huge number.. What was revealed about the devastation of the 2024 Lebanon War?
The “Al-Sharq News” website published a report under the title “Amidst environmental concerns…the rubble of Lebanon after the Israeli war is about 10 times the destruction of 2006,” and it stated:
The Lebanese authorities are preparing to begin work on removing the rubble of buildings and waste resulting from the Israeli war on Lebanon, which lasted for more than a year and intensified in the period between September and November 2024, and which is estimated at about 10 times the size of the rubble resulting from the July 2006 war, which lasted for a month.
Lebanese government estimates indicated that the volume of rubble resulting from the war that took place more than a year ago between Israel and the Hezbollah group ranges between 50 to 100 million cubic metres, representing 5 to 10 times the volume of rubble resulting from the July 2006 war.
The Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamiyah, announced last week that “the rubble lifting file will enter the implementation phase after the technical, scientific and legal standards are approved by the competent authorities before assigning the lifting work to companies.”
On November 27, 2024, a ceasefire agreement between the Lebanese Hezbollah group and the Israeli army entered into force, after months of mutual military operations between the two parties.
The agreement, which was approved by the Israeli security cabinet and Hezbollah leaders, was mediated by American mediation, in which the United States presented a proposal stipulating an end to the hostilities that had continued for more than a year. At the time, US President Joe Biden said that the agreement aimed to permanently stop combat operations.
“Randomness is harmful”
The head of the Lebanese Green Party, Fadi Abi Allam, warned of harmful repercussions due to what he described as “random dealing” with plans for removing rubble and the method of disposing of waste.
Abi Allam added in statements to Al-Sharq that “random dealing with this file is harmful and destructive.” “Houses, streets, and entire neighborhoods were destroyed, so we must reconsider them in order to develop engineering drawings according to beneficial environmental designs, and to replant trees and gardens.”
Likewise, specialists in the field of environment and public health expressed their fear of implementing a proposal to use the rubble to fill the “Costa Brava” landfill south of the capital, Beirut, or to fill quarries.
They pointed out that it entails environmental risks, and exposes the soil to leakage of pollution resulting from Israeli bombing, such as white phosphorus.
The “Costa Brava Landfill” is considered one of the largest waste dumps in Beirut, and is located near its international airport.
Implementation mechanisms
On the other hand, Advisor to the Minister of Environment, Hassan Dhaini, confirmed that the government is working to tighten environmental conditions and guarantees so that they are uniform among all parties that will work with contractors to remove the rubble.
Dhaini said in statements to Al-Sharq that the government is currently working on completing a book of conditions for removing the backfill, including an article obligating the contractor to ensure environmental guarantees and avoid random transportation.
Regarding the implementation mechanism, he explained that “if the transport is assigned to a party, the contractor will transport the waste to approved sites within the regulations issued by the Minister of Environment, so that there are specific sites to receive the shipments.”
He pointed out that “waste, ammunition and dangerous materials will be removed before transport operations begin,” noting that “every contractor will obtain the approval of the Ministry of Environment before starting the sorting operations.”
The Lebanese government allocated about $44 million for operations to remove rubble from various areas that were subjected to Israeli bombing.
In a report dated last November, the World Bank estimated the losses of Lebanon’s economy and its main sectors due to the Israeli war at about $8.5 billion, including $3.4 billion in the cost of damage to about 100,000 housing units. (Al-Sharq News)
