The escalating conflict across the Middle East has profoundly deepened a pre-existing health crisis, placing immense strain on already fragile systems, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). More than ten days into the latest surge in hostilities, a significant rise in injuries and displacement, alongside persistent attacks on healthcare, is exacerbating public health risks across the region.

The human toll continues to mount, with national health authorities reporting thousands of casualties. In Iran, over 1,300 deaths and 9,000 injuries have been recorded, while Lebanon has seen at least 570 deaths and more than 1,400 injuries. Israeli authorities have reported 15 deaths and 2,142 injuries. Compounding this, the conflict directly impacts the delivery of life-saving services. Since February 28, the WHO has verified 18 attacks on healthcare in Iran, resulting in eight deaths among health workers. During the same period, Lebanon experienced 25 attacks on healthcare, leading to 16 deaths and 29 injuries. Such assaults not only claim lives but critically deprive communities of vital medical care, undermining international humanitarian law which mandates the protection of health workers, patients, and facilities.

Beyond immediate casualties, the conflict is fostering widespread public health emergencies. An estimated 100,000 people in Iran have been forced to relocate due to insecurity, while up to 700,000 individuals are internally displaced within Lebanon. Many of these displaced populations are living in overcrowded collective shelters with deteriorating public health conditions, severely lacking access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene. These circumstances dramatically elevate the risk of respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases, and other communicable illnesses, particularly threatening vulnerable groups such as women and children. Furthermore, environmental hazards pose an additional threat; petroleum fires and smoke from damaged infrastructure in Iran are exposing nearby communities to toxic pollutants, potentially causing respiratory issues, skin/eye irritation, and contaminating water and food sources.

Access to critical health services is becoming increasingly restricted throughout several affected areas. In Lebanon, the issuance of evacuation orders by Israel’s military has led to the closure of 49 primary healthcare centres and five hospitals, reducing essential service availability just as medical needs are surging. In the occupied Palestinian territory, movement restrictions and checkpoint closures are causing significant delays for ambulances and mobile clinics in the West Bank. Gaza’s hospitals continue to operate under severe strain with ongoing shortages of medicines, medical supplies, and fuel, which is being rationed to prioritize only the most essential services, including emergency and trauma care, maternal and neonatal services, and communicable disease management. Medical evacuations from Gaza have been suspended since late February.

This widespread escalation unfolds against a backdrop of already formidable humanitarian needs across the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Before the latest conflict, 115 million people in the region required humanitarian assistance—nearly half of all people in need globally. Despite this dire situation, humanitarian health emergency appeals remain significantly underfunded, currently at 70% below required levels. This financial shortfall, coupled with logistical challenges like temporary airspace restrictions disrupting WHO medical supply movements from its global hub in Dubai, creates substantial backlogs for over 50 emergency supply requests intended for more than 1.5 million people across 25 countries.

The relentless pressure on fragile health systems and vulnerable populations will only intensify without immediate and decisive action. The disruption of medical supply chains, the closure of healthcare facilities, and the rampant spread of disease in displaced communities threaten to unravel years of public health progress and deepen the humanitarian catastrophe. The current situation demands urgent attention to prevent an even wider regional health crisis.

In response, the WHO is urgently appealing to all parties involved to uphold their responsibility to protect civilians and healthcare infrastructure. The organization emphasizes the critical need for unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to deliver essential aid. Ultimately, the WHO calls for an immediate de-escalation of the conflict to enable communities to begin the long process of recovery and move towards lasting peace.