WHO warns of escalating health crisis in Middle East conflict

More than ten days into the latest escalation of conflict in the Middle East, health systems across the region are facing significant strain as injuries and displacement escalate, attacks on healthcare persist, and public health risks mount.

National health authorities in Iran report over 1,300 deaths and 9,000 injuries, while in Lebanon, there are at least 570 deaths and more than 1,400 injuries. In Israel, authorities report 15 deaths and 2,142 injuries.

At the same time, the conflict is impacting the essential services designed to save lives. In Iran, the WHO has confirmed 18 attacks on healthcare since February 28, resulting in 8 fatalities among health workers. During the same timeframe in Lebanon, 25 attacks on healthcare have led to 16 deaths and 29 injuries. These incidents not only claim lives but also strip communities of necessary care at critical moments. Health workers, patients, and healthcare facilities must always be safeguarded in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Beyond the immediate impact, the conflict is generating broader public health risks. Current estimates suggest that over 100,000 people in Iran have moved to other regions of the country due to insecurity, while up to 700,000 individuals have been internally displaced in Lebanon. Many of these displaced persons are living in overcrowded collective shelters with worsening public health conditions and limited access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. Such circumstances elevate the risk of respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, and other communicable illnesses, particularly affecting the most vulnerable populations, including women and children.

Environmental hazards are also a rising concern. In Iran, petroleum fires and smoke from damaged infrastructure have exposed nearby communities to toxic pollutants that can potentially lead to breathing problems, eye and skin irritation, as well as contamination of water and food sources.

Access to health services is becoming increasingly restricted in various countries. In Lebanon, 49 primary health care centers and five hospitals have closed due to evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military, leading to a decrease in the availability of essential services as medical needs are surging.

In the occupied Palestinian territory, increased movement restrictions and checkpoint closures are delaying the access of ambulances and mobile clinics across several governorates in the West Bank. In Gaza, medical evacuations have remained suspended since February 28, while hospitals continue to operate under strain amid ongoing shortages of medicines, medical supplies, and fuel, which is being rationed to prioritize essential health services such as emergency and trauma care, maternal and neonatal services, and the management of communicable diseases.

Temporary airspace restrictions have disrupted the movement of medical supplies from WHO’s global logistics hub in Dubai. More than 50 emergency supply requests, intended to benefit over 1.5 million people across 25 countries, are affected, resulting in significant backlogs. Current priority shipments include supplies planned for Al Arish, Egypt, to support the Gaza response, as well as shipments to Lebanon and Afghanistan. The first shipment, containing cholera response supplies for Mozambique, is expected to depart from the hub in the coming week.

The escalation comes at a time when humanitarian needs in the Eastern Mediterranean Region were already among the highest in the world. Across the Region, 115 million people require humanitarian assistance—almost half of all people in need globally—while humanitarian health emergency appeals remain 70% underfunded.

Without protection for health care, sustained humanitarian access, and stronger financial and operational support for the humanitarian health response, the pressure on vulnerable populations and already fragile health systems will continue to increase.

WHO calls on all parties to protect civilians and health care, ensure unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access, and pursue de-escalation of the conflict so communities can begin to recover and move towards peace.