Beirut (Business Emerge), August 5: Lebanon has bolstered its healthcare sector with a substantial delivery of emergency medical supplies on Monday, aiming to prepare hospitals for potential war injuries. Meanwhile, Beirut’s airport witnessed a surge of people scrambling to leave the country, driven by fears of an impending conflict.
Tensions have escalated dramatically over the past week, following the assassination of the leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Tehran and an Israeli airstrike on the suburbs of Beirut, which resulted in the death of a high-ranking Hezbollah commander. The threats of retaliation from Hezbollah and Iran against Israel have sparked widespread concerns that the ongoing regional conflicts, including the Gaza War, might escalate into a full-scale war.
The healthcare system in southern Lebanon, already crippled by a prolonged economic crisis, has been overwhelmed with injured patients over the past ten months due to frequent skirmishes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. The World Health Organization responded by delivering 32 tons of medical supplies to Lebanon’s health ministry, including at least 1,000 trauma kits intended to treat war casualties.
“The objective is to distribute these supplies and medications to various hospitals and health sectors across Lebanon, particularly in the most vulnerable areas, to ensure readiness for any emergency,” stated Health Minister Firass Abiad at the airport where the aid was received.
At the same time, Beirut’s airport was bustling with Lebanese families, many of whom were cutting their vacations short and boarding flights to return home early. Numerous countries, including France, Britain, Italy, and Turkey, have advised their citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial flights are still operational.
“It is deeply distressing, truly heartbreaking,” said Sherin Malah, a Lebanese citizen residing in Italy who had returned to Lebanon to visit her mother. “We emerge from one crisis only to plunge into another.”