March 2026- More than ten days after the latest escalation of conflict in the Middle East, health systems across the region are facing mounting pressure as casualties increase, populations are displaced, and repeated attacks on healthcare facilities disrupt essential medical services, according to the World Health Organization.
Health authorities in Iran have reported over 1,300 deaths and around 9,000 injuries since the escalation began. In Lebanon, at least 570 people have been killed and more than 1,400 injured. Authorities in Israel have confirmed 15 deaths and 2,142 injuries.
Alongside the rising number of casualties, attacks on healthcare services have further intensified the crisis. The WHO has verified 18 attacks on healthcare facilities in Iran since 28 February, resulting in the deaths of eight health workers. During the same period, Lebanon recorded 25 attacks on healthcare services, leaving 16 people dead and 29 injured. Such incidents not only lead to loss of life but also severely disrupt access to medical care for communities during critical times. Under international humanitarian law, healthcare workers, patients, and medical facilities must be protected at all times.
The ongoing conflict is also creating significant public health concerns. In Iran, more than 100,000 people have reportedly relocated to safer areas within the country due to security threats. In Lebanon, internal displacement has reached up to 700,000 people, many of whom are living in overcrowded shelters with deteriorating public health conditions and limited access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. These conditions raise the risk of respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases, and other communicable illnesses, particularly among vulnerable groups such as women and children.
Environmental risks are also emerging as a concern. In Iran, petroleum fires and smoke from damaged infrastructure have exposed nearby communities to toxic pollutants that may cause respiratory problems, skin and eye irritation, and contamination of food and water sources.
Access to healthcare services is becoming increasingly limited in several areas affected by the conflict. In Lebanon, 49 primary healthcare centres and five hospitals have closed following evacuation orders issued by Israel’s military, reducing the availability of essential services at a time when medical needs are rising.
In the occupied Palestinian territory, movement restrictions and checkpoint closures have slowed the operations of ambulances and mobile clinics across multiple governorates in the West Bank. In Gaza, medical evacuations have been suspended since 28 February. Hospitals there continue to operate under severe strain due to shortages of medicines, medical supplies, and fuel, which is being rationed to maintain critical services such as emergency and trauma care, maternal and neonatal care, and the treatment of communicable diseases.
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The conflict has also disrupted the delivery of medical supplies. Temporary airspace restrictions have delayed shipments from WHO’s global logistics hub in Dubai, affecting more than 50 emergency supply requests intended to support over 1.5 million people across 25 countries. Key shipments include medical supplies destined for Al Arish in Egypt to support healthcare operations in Gaza, as well as supplies for Lebanon and Afghanistan. The first delayed shipment, containing cholera response supplies for Mozambique, is expected to depart in the coming week.
The escalation comes at a time when humanitarian needs in the Eastern Mediterranean region were already among the highest globally. According to WHO, around 115 million people in the region currently require humanitarian assistance, accounting for nearly half of the global population in need. However, humanitarian health emergency appeals remain about 70 percent underfunded.
The WHO has called on all parties involved in the conflict to protect civilians and healthcare services, ensure uninterrupted humanitarian access, and work toward de-escalation to allow affected communities to recover and rebuild.
