The World Health Organization’s regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean has called for an immediate halt to hostilities in the Middle East, warning of a health crisis that is “unfolding in real time”. Dr Hanan Balkhy urged that hospitals and healthcare facilities be treated as “safe havens”, as conflicts across the region disrupt medical services and displace millions.
Speaking ahead of a reported projectile hitting the grounds of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, Dr Balkhy expressed deep concern about potential impacts on nuclear sites and water desalination plants. She noted that attacks on desalination facilities would be “a disaster”, potentially leaving vast numbers of people without water. The WHO is updating guidance and preparing for a nuclear catastrophe.
According to national authorities, over 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon, more than 1,500 in Iran, and 16 in Israel since the US-Iran war began. Dr Balkhy highlighted that within less than one month, 3.2 million people have been displaced from their homes in Iran and over 1 million in Lebanon. Long-term effects on maternal mortality, mental health, and children left orphaned are expected.
The WHO has verified dozens of attacks on healthcare in Lebanon, Iran, and Israel since the start of the US-Iran war. Dr Balkhy urged compliance with international humanitarian law to secure healthcare, noting that hospitals are no longer seen as safe havens. She also warned that crises in Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen are being neglected amid global focus on the US-Iran conflict.
