WHO warns of health crisis ‘unfolding in real time’ across Middle East
WHO warns of health crisis ‘unfolding in real time’ across Middle East
The World Health Organization’s regional director has called for an immediate halt to hostilities in the Middle East to prevent a worsening health emergency. Dr. Hanan Balkhy emphasized the urgent need to protect healthcare facilities, stating they must be recognized as “safe havens” amid escalating conflicts. She highlighted that the situation is deteriorating rapidly, with the potential for a full-scale crisis emerging in multiple regions simultaneously.
Recent reports indicate that the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran has resulted in over 1,000 deaths in Lebanon, more than 1,500 in Iran, and 16 in Israel, according to official counts. Additionally, over a dozen casualties have been recorded in the West Bank and Gulf Arab states. Balkhy noted the displacement of 3.2 million people in Iran and more than a million in Lebanon within a single month, disrupting essential medical care for those with chronic conditions.
Threats to critical infrastructure
Dr. Balkhy expressed deep concern over attacks targeting nuclear sites and water desalination plants. She warned that strikes on nuclear facilities could lead to catastrophic health consequences, whether intentional or accidental. Desalination plants, she said, are vital for providing clean water, and their destruction could leave millions in Gulf countries without access to essential resources.
“The situation has been quite difficult for some time, but what we’re seeing today is just an actual regional health crisis unfolding in real time in multiple parts of this region,” Balkhy told the Guardian. “It’s not just about lives being lost. It’s about a collapse of access [to healthcare] in many, many dimensions way above and beyond what we would have imagined.”
Balkhy also raised alarms about the contamination of water sources due to attacks on oil or nuclear sites, which could spread pollutants through rainwater into underground reserves. This would threaten even those who rely on alternative water supplies, compounding the already dire conditions.
Earlier this week, the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization confirmed a projectile hit the Bushehr nuclear power plant’s grounds. This followed a similar attack on 17 March, underscoring the escalating risks. Balkhy urged preparation for such scenarios, stressing the importance of safeguarding healthcare infrastructure as the only viable solution to the crisis.
Neglected crises in Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen
While global focus remains on the US-Iran war, Balkhy pointed out that crises in Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen are being overlooked. She criticized the neglect, noting the hardship and suffering in these areas remain underreported. “It is very distressing because, behind that neglect, there’s a lot of hardship and death and sickness and illness and displacement that is going unrecognised,” she said.
The WHO has documented numerous attacks on healthcare facilities in Lebanon, Iran, and Israel since the conflict began. A recent strike on El-Daein teaching hospital in East Darfur, Sudan, killed at least 70 individuals, including 13 children, two nurses, and a doctor, rendering the hospital nonfunctional. Balkhy stressed that hospitals are no longer safe, as people in war zones now fear they may be targeted.
“My worry is driving me to prepare and to have my teams prepare. And that’s what we’re doing,” she said. “Even if there was conflict, let’s secure the healthcare sector. Let’s not attack hospitals, health workers, and healthcare facilities and patients. Let’s have at least a safe haven for them.”
