The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has left behind lots of rubble. Some experts fear that much of it will be dumped into the environment without controls.The New York Times reports that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has resulted in widespread destruction and rubble. Many experts are concerned that this debris will be disposed of without proper controls, posing a threat to the environment.
Ahmad Mehdi, a resident of a neighborhood south of Beirut, has been living in a partially destroyed home for the past three months. His apartment was damaged by an Israeli airstrike on the building next door, leaving behind a massive amount of rubble. Mehdi describes the scene as “eleven floors worth of rubble collapsed into two,” with rocks, dirt, steel, and bits of iron scattered everywhere.
Like many other Lebanese citizens whose homes and businesses were affected by the war, Mehdi and his family are eager to start repairs. However, the first step of clearing the rubble is proving to be a major challenge. “That is our biggest problem: Where do we put the debris?” Mehdi said.
As Lebanon begins the slow process of rebuilding after a fragile cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel, the country is struggling to find a solution for the vast amount of rubble scattered throughout Beirut. According to a report from the National Council for Scientific Research, nearly 3,000 buildings in the Dahiya area have been destroyed, severely damaged, or extensively damaged.
The war between Israel and Hezbollah, which started in October 2023, resulted in the deaths of over 3,700 people in Lebanon. It also displaced 1.3 million people and caused billions of dollars in damage to the economy. The conflict devastated southern Lebanon and densely populated areas south of Beirut, where Hezbollah has a strong presence.
Tamara Elzein, an author of the report, estimates that Israeli attacks on buildings, houses, factories, roads, and other infrastructure have created approximately 350 million cubic feet of rubble. This debris must be cleared before substantial reconstruction can begin. In Gaza, where Israel has been fighting to eliminate Hamas militants, nearly 60% of buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on Israel have also caused damage to homes and farmland.
The New York Times reports that the cleanup and reconstruction process in Lebanon will be a long and difficult one. It is crucial that proper measures are taken to dispose of the rubble in an environmentally responsible manner.
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