Islamabad: At least 18 attacks on healthcare facilities in Iran and 25 in Lebanon have been recorded during the ongoing aggression by the United States and Israel, damaging hospitals, killing dozens of health workers and disrupting medical services for millions of people across the region, the World Health Organization warned on Wednesday.
In a statement issued from Cairo and Geneva, the UN health agency said the war is placing severe pressure on already fragile health systems across the Eastern Mediterranean region as injuries rise, large populations are displaced and health facilities struggle to continue providing essential services.
According to WHO, 18 attacks on healthcare facilities in Iran since February 28 have resulted in the deaths of at least eight health workers, while 25 attacks on healthcare in Lebanon have caused 16 deaths and 29 injuries among medical personnel and patients.
Health officials say such attacks not only endanger doctors, nurses and paramedics but also deprive communities of essential care at a time when medical needs are rapidly increasing.
Access to healthcare services has also been severely affected by the war. In Lebanon, 49 primary healthcare centres and five hospitals have been forced to shut down following evacuation orders, significantly reducing the availability of emergency treatment, maternal care, vaccination services and routine medical care.
The conflict has also triggered large scale displacement. Current estimates indicate that more than 100,000 people in Iran have relocated to other parts of the country due to insecurity, while up to 700,000 people have been internally displaced in Lebanon, many of them now living in crowded collective shelters.
Public health experts warn that overcrowded shelters with limited access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene facilities increase the risk of infectious diseases including respiratory infections and diarrhoeal illnesses, particularly among women and children.
Environmental health hazards are also emerging as a result of the war. Fires at petroleum facilities and smoke from damaged infrastructure in Iran have exposed nearby communities to toxic pollutants that could cause breathing problems, skin irritation and contamination of water and food sources.
The war is also affecting humanitarian health supply chains across the region. Temporary airspace restrictions have disrupted the transport of emergency medical supplies from WHO’s global logistics hub in Dubai, delaying more than 50 emergency shipments intended to support over 1.5 million people across 25 countries.
Some of the delayed shipments include medical supplies planned for Gaza, Lebanon and Afghanistan as well as emergency materials needed for disease outbreak response and essential medicines.
WHO said the crisis is unfolding at a time when humanitarian needs in the Eastern Mediterranean region were already among the highest in the world. The agency estimates that around 115 million people across the region currently require humanitarian assistance, while humanitarian health emergency appeals remain about 70 percent underfunded.
The UN health agency warned that without protection of healthcare facilities, sustained humanitarian access and stronger financial support for health emergency operations, the war could further weaken already fragile health systems and expose millions of people to worsening public health risks.
WHO called on all parties involved in the conflict to protect civilians and healthcare facilities, respect international humanitarian law and ensure uninterrupted humanitarian access so that hospitals and medical workers can continue providing life saving care.
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