More than ten days into the latest escalation of conflict across the Middle East, health systems are buckling under the combined weight of mass casualties, displacement, and relentless attacks on medical facilities, as reported in an official statement published by the World Health Organization (WHO). Iran has recorded over 1,300 deaths and 9,000 injuries; Lebanon reports at least 570 deaths and more than 1,400 injuries; and Israel has reported 15 deaths and over 2,100 injuries. Behind those numbers, the infrastructure meant to treat the wounded is itself under attack.
WHO has verified 18 attacks on health care in Iran since February 28, killing eight health workers, and 25 attacks in Lebanon, leaving 16 dead and 29 injured. In Lebanon, 49 primary health care centers and five hospitals have shut following military evacuation orders, cutting off essential services precisely when demand is highest.
Displacement is compounding the crisis. Over 100,000 people have relocated within Iran due to insecurity, while up to 700,000 have been internally displaced in Lebanon — many crowded into collective shelters with limited access to clean water and sanitation, raising the risk of respiratory infections and diarrhoeal disease. In Gaza, medical evacuations have been suspended since February 28, hospitals are rationing fuel, and medicines remain critically short. Airspace restrictions have also disrupted WHO’s global logistics hub in Dubai, blocking over 50 emergency supply shipments intended to reach more than 1.5 million people across 25 countries.
The escalation is hitting a region already at a breaking point. Across the Eastern Mediterranean, 115 million people — nearly half of all people requiring humanitarian assistance globally — need help, while health emergency appeals remain 70% underfunded.
WHO is calling on all parties to protect civilians and health workers, guarantee unimpeded humanitarian access, and pursue de-escalation. Without all three, the toll on fragile health systems and vulnerable populations will only keep rising.
