The disease kills Lebanese villagers (Video + Photos)

Residents of the city of Hosh al-Rafiqah, in Baalbek-Hermel governorate, suffer from a high number of cancers several years ago due to the pollution of the Litani River passing through the village.

The Litani is one of the longest rivers in Lebanon, 170 km long. It is located west of Baalbek, in the Bekaa Valley, in the Mediterranean Sea, north of Tire. That were diverted to the riverbed without the presence of refineries, toxic industrial and chemical wastes from factories, medical hospital waste, slaughterhouse waste and restaurants.

Cancer cases are increasing in towns and villages close to Litani, with the largest number of casualties being recorded in Hush al-Rafiqah, of which 44 have killed 19 people.

For several years, the population of the city, which has 6,000 inhabitants, is suffering from the disaster that plagues them and the state has no way to find solutions.

"We have 15 to 20 cancer deaths, and we have about 30 injuries now," said Mukhtar of Hawish Rafikah Abbas Yazbek of Sputnik.

He added: "We were saying to plantations of two thousand dunums of Litani and drinking, today all sewage and sewage cause many diseases, we hold the responsibility for the pollution of the river to the owners of the laboratories. and to the ministers who cover the owners of these laboratories, and the state must know our case, Drink and not leave the house because of pollution and bad smells, my house is about a kilometer from the Litani River and during the night, odors reach our homes. "

The mayor of the city was responsible for spreading diseases in the Lebanese state, pointing out that children ages 5 and 7 were suffering from cancer in the privacy of their families.

"Cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, bone cancer, leukemia, breast cancer, and bowel cancer," he said.

"We have no plantations in the city, we live under the rain of the Lord, we cultivate the land.Only wheat does not need to be irrigated, do not plant vegetables, neither fruit nor fruit trees. "

Al-Mukhtar pointed out that several meetings had taken place between the inhabitants of the city and the Lebanese State without reaching a result. "We have appealed to the Ministry of Health and we have organized several sit-ins, but until now nobody answers us, the state does not know, there are people who have a blanket of deputies, ministers and associations.And look at our suffering, some people in the city are not able to buy anticancer drugs for treatment, people pay for the treatment of this disease, not the Lebanese State.

Campaigns are continuing with civil movement activists and people interested in the environmental situation, to save the Litani River across the province. The prosecution and closure of each plant contribute to the pollution of the river.