After the war… reconstruction, but at what price ?

[9 October 2006 - 18h41]
[mis à jour le 11 October 2006 à 17h09]

The southern suburbs of Beirut have been destroyed by 33 days of bombardment. A square kilometre razed to the ground, hundreds of flattened apartment buildings which, as they collapsed, released a cocktail loaded with asbestos fibre, gas and toxic dust.

The landscape is lunar. Hezbollah’s former “security perimeter” – its command centre – at Haret Hreik south of Beirut, has been completely wiped out. An apocalyptic vision that thousands of workmen are now trying to erase. All this amid a thick cloud of cement dust, incinerated computer components and cancer-inducing fibres such as asbestos.

Hassan Hamoud, a lung specialist at a private clinic in West Beirut explained to us, “People are not aware of the danger asbestos represents for their health. Labourers are working without any real protection. Masks are almost non-existent. The population has never been made aware of these issues. Today, the key thing for Hezbollah and the State is reconstruction. Politics are taking priority over public health. It’s an error for which we shall pay dearly in years to come.”

The respiratory problems from which Americans working on the site of “Ground Zero” in Manhattan are suffering are enlightening in this respect. Chronic coughs, recurring infections, asthma, reduced respiratory capacity, and so on. Hundreds of fire officers, police officers, soldiers and ambulance staff are now suffering on a daily basis. At least their costs are covered, if only partially. Which is better of course than no cover at all…

Source : interview with Dr Hassan Hammoud, 28 September 2006

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