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3. Cost of Treating Pager Victims Exceeds $4 Million

Since the first day of its implementation at dawn on Wednesday, November 27, the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah has faced widespread violations, putting the agreement to a real test regarding its ability to hold. Lebanon is currently in the phase of tallying losses and assessing damages and costs, and if we look at the figures presented in a report by the Basel Fleihan Institute for Financial and Economic Studies, which summarized the main reports on the assessment of war damages to Lebanon, we will discover the scale of the disaster.

The war caused infrastructure losses estimated at around $8.5 billion, according to the World Bank's report, with the losses possibly reaching half of the GDP, which is approximately $20 billion. The housing sector incurred massive losses, as more than 100,000 homes were destroyed or damaged, for $3.4 billion. The education, health, and environmental sectors suffered losses estimated at $5.1 billion, threatening the state's ability to provide basic services. Additionally, the destruction of trade routes further exacerbated the economic situation, with small and medium-sized businesses closing their doors and 166,000 people losing their jobs.

According to the United Nations Development Program, the unemployment rate is expected to exceed 32.6% by the end of the year. The economy is expected to shrink by 6.6% this year, and this sharp decline will increase the suffering of more than 80% of the population, who are expected to become even poorer.

Regarding the health sector, the official figures issued by the Ministry of Health show the extent of the catastrophe resulting from the Hezbollah war with Israel. According to the Minister of Health in the caretaker government, the death toll reached 4,047 martyrs and 16,593 injured, breaking down the damages that affected the health sector, which was directly targeted. Before September 15, 2024, there were 645 martyrs and 1,983 injured.

After September 15, the numbers rose to 3,402 martyrs and 14,655 injured. These figures are, of course, not final, as the actual numbers are likely higher, with many martyrs still buried under the rubble. Specifically, before September 15, 26 children were martyred due to the assaults, and after September 15, 290 children were martyred, bringing the total number of child martyrs to 316. As for the injured children, 197 were injured before September 15, and 1,259 were injured afterward, bringing the total number of injured children to 1,456. For women, 40 women were martyred before September 15, and 750 women after that, making the total number of female martyrs 790. As for the injured women, the total number reached 3,357.

During the recent war, the health sector bore great pressure, both in terms of the costs of responding to the crisis and the destruction and damage to health institutions. According to the official figures issued by the Ministry of Health, 67 hospitals were affected, with nearly 40 health centers targeted, and 7 hospitals were completely out of service, namely: Bent Jbeil, Salah Ghandour, Marjayoun, Mays al-Jabal Martada, Bahman, and the Burj hospital. In these hospitals, 16 martyrs and 73 injured fell, and 25 vehicles were targeted. The attacks also affected 256 vehicles, including 60 fire trucks, 177 ambulances, and 16 rescue vehicles. The final toll of the attacks on the health sector is 222 martyrs and 330 injured.

Immediately after the ceasefire announcement, the damaged hospitals began restoration work, with some expected to complete repairs within a few days, and others within a week or two, according to the president of the private hospitals association, Suleiman Haroun. Certainly, the ceasefire cannot erase the hefty costs incurred by hospitals during the war. Currently, hospitals are urgently requesting the Ministry of Health to pay the bills for the treatment of war casualties, as they are very costly due to the quantity and nature of the injuries. This has led hospitals to issue an urgent appeal to the Minister of Health to expedite the payment of these funds. According to information, these bills have not yet been tallied, and Minister Firas Abiad has asked the relevant departments in the Ministry to hurry up and collect them in coordination with the Private Hospitals Syndicate, which is also working to organize and send the bills to the Ministry of Health. According to estimates, the total bill will reach millions of dollars, while the Ministry of Public Health has already paid the costs of treating those injured by "pager" explosions. Sources reveal that the total cost of treating these victims, most of whom underwent complex surgeries, has exceeded $4 million. This amount has already been paid to hospitals, which are now awaiting payment for the remaining bills of the war’s injured and victims.