Medical infrastructure destroyed, staff killed as Baalbek healthcare system left reeling

Israeli bombardments caused massive destruction in and around the city of #Baalbek in the #Bekaa valley. In Douris near Baalbek the building of a medical emergency center, where ambulances fire men and emergency workers were housed, was destroyed on 14 November. Only one of the emergency workers survived, 14 of his colleagues were killed.

This emergency center was a government facility not linked to Hezbollah. A nearby hospital was also attacked and can no longer operate. Elsewhere, the house of the director of another hospital was destroyed and he and several colleagues were killed.

The father of the hospital director wonders why a hospital had to be attacked. According to him this is a war crime.
SHOTLIST
Douris, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 29/11/2024

Man walking through rubble

SOUNDBITE (English) Man, unnamed rescue worker, only survivor of attack on rescue post: “That’s the first time I come here because I am breaking, It breaks my heart. Because my brothers are killed, 14. It’s very … hard.”

Remains of destroyed emergency post of Douris

VS Destroyed car

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Man, unnamed rescue worker: "The head of our emergency post, Bilal, if we were safe. They confirmed us that we were. So we stayed here. Shorly afterwards the emergency post was attacked."

CU Wreath where destroyed emergency post was

VS People visiting location

SOUNDBITE (English and Arabic) Sami Ramaden, local authority representative: “It’s very important for the whole region. From Baalbek to Hermel. If there was a fire, or an accident or another disaster, they left immediately to help.”

Car driving through street.

VS People passing wreckage of car.

Man walking on roof near attacked hospital

VS destruction on hospital

Driving shot

Man showing location of destroyed house of hospital director of another hospital where several doctors and nurses where also killed

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Man, unnamed: “Yes, he was blown away till there.”

CU Grenade parts in ruble

VS People greeting father of killed hospital director.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Doctor, unnamed, father of hospital director: “They aim at us because we are important. We are treating everybody without distinction. I tell you, very clearly, if it was Netanyahu would treat hum. I have a humanitarian mission, not a political one. “

VS Grandfather greeting his grandchildren. Picture of killed doctor and hospital director.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Doctor, father of hospital director speaking: “There is no justice on earth. Where is justice, where? In all wars ragging now, where is justice? All these dead people, all these children, everybody who was killed in Gaza. Where is justice?”

Father of killed doctor leaving in car.