Lebanon is facing a sharp rise in visual impairments following Israel's deadly pager attacks on 17 September 2024, which left hundreds blind and pushed the country's blindness rates to among the highest per capita in the world.
The attacks, widely condemned as a war crime, reportedly intended to target Hezbollah fighters but due to their indiscriminate nature resulted in widespread civilian casualties and mass injuries, have intensified Lebanon's already dire humanitarian crisis.
According to disability rights activist Ibrahim Abdullah, those injured in the attacks have joined an estimated 15,000 to 17,000 visually impaired people in Lebanon, with at least 8,000 officially registered.
Speaking to the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, Abdullah said the surge in visual impairment now makes Lebanon one of the countries with the highest rates of blindness per capita in the world.
The pager attacks were particularly devastating due to their deceptive nature. The devices reportedly emitted a notification alert designed to draw attention. Victims instinctively held the pagers close to their faces to inspect the message - at which point the devices detonated.
The proximity of the blasts caused severe facial injuries, with shrapnel tearing into victims' eyes, resulting in widespread blindness and permanent disabilities.
"Their intention was clear — to cause the greatest possible harm," Abdullah said. "The devices were designed to explode when held at eye level, which is why saw so many cases of severe visual impairment."
Struggles with daily life
Survivors are now navigating life without sight in a country with limited infrastructure and minimal social support for those with disabilities.
Despite a relatively high number of visually impaired university graduates compared to other disability groups, unemployment rates among Lebanon’s blind community remain alarmingly high.
Amr Makarem, head of the Youth Association for the Blind, told Al-Akhbar that Lebanon's outdated approach to disabilities has worsened the crisis.
"Our society still believes people with disabilities should be placed in care institutions rather than integrated into everyday life," Makarem said.
This exclusion extends to education as well. Although Lebanon’s Ministry of Education claims to have equipped 117 inclusive schools to accommodate students with diverse needs, Al-Akhbar reported that few schools were prepared to properly support visually impaired students.
"Most so-called 'inclusive schools' are not truly inclusive," Makarem said. "Many simply assign a shadow teacher to blind students, which often limits their independence rather than encouraging it."
Healthcare is also a serious challenge for Lebanon's newly blind population. Many require ongoing treatment for conditions such as glaucoma or facial reconstructive surgery, yet Lebanon's lack of clear regulations under Disabilities Law 220/2000 has left them without essential support. Although the law promises comprehensive healthcare services, these remain largely unavailable due to the absence of detailed implementation measures.
Mobility is another major concern. According to Al-Akhbar, visually impaired individuals face constant harassment and exploitation on Lebanon's unreliable public transport system.
'A sinister dystopian nightmare'
The pager attacks drew sharp condemnation from international rights groups. In a statement issued last year, Amnesty International called for an international investigation to hold those responsible accountable.
"These attacks bear the hallmarks of a sinister dystopian nightmare," said Aya Majzoub, Amnesty’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa. She described the use of disguised explosive devices as an unprecedented and horrifying method of targeting civilians.
Amnesty stressed that the attack would constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law, adding that Israel could not have known who would ultimately pick up the pagers or who else would be nearby when they detonated, making the attack indiscriminate and unlawful.