Fares Scale of Injuries due to Cluster Munitions

Lore & Background

The scale was developed in response to the widespread use of cluster munitions during the 2006 Lebanon War. It was estimated that Israel rained as many as 4.6 million submunitions across southern Lebanon in at least 962 separate strikes, with almost one million remaining unexploded. These unexploded ordnances continued to injure and kill civilians after the war ended, causing polytraumatic injuries that often led to disability and significant neuropsychological effects.

Reader's Guide

The Fares Scale of Injuries due to Cluster Munitions assesses the severity of injuries based on functional impairment. Due to the polytraumatic nature of the injuries and damage to multiple systems, the scale stratifies cohorts by exploring the limitation in activity resulting from the injury. It uses a grading system (I-IV): Grade I shows functional impairment of less than 25%, Grade II shows 50%, Grade III shows 75%, and Grade IV demonstrates more than 75% functional impairment. Grading is done after meticulous and conjoint assessment of symptoms and functioning. The scale helped in classifying the wounds of victims and determining the best possible treatment.

Did You Know?

• The scale was published in 2013 by Lebanese physicians Jawad Fares and Youssef Fares.
• It uses a four-grade system (I-IV) based on percentage of functional impairment.
• The scale was developed in response to injuries from the 2006 Lebanon War, where an estimated 4.6 million submunitions were used.