Escalating conflicts in the Middle East are severely impacting healthcare infrastructure and personnel, leading to significant casualties and disruptions.
Mass displacement, with hundreds of thousands forced from their homes, is creating unsanitary conditions and increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.
Attacks on healthcare facilities and workers are widespread, directly causing deaths and injuries while denying essential services to vulnerable populations.
The WHO is urging all parties to protect civilians, ensure humanitarian access, and de-escalate the conflict to prevent further health crises.
Atlas AI
GENEVA – The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on March 11, 2026, that escalating conflicts across the Middle East are severely straining the region's healthcare systems. The hostilities, which intensified over the past ten days following attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, are leading to a surge in injuries, mass displacement, and increased assaults on medical facilities, consequently elevating public health risks.
The conflict has resulted in significant casualties across multiple nations. Iran has reported over 1,300 deaths and 9,000 injuries. In Lebanon, at least 570 people have died and more than 1,400 have been injured. Israel has recorded 15 fatalities and 2,142 injuries. Attacks on healthcare infrastructure and personnel are also on the rise. Since February 28, Iran has experienced 18 attacks on its healthcare services, resulting in the deaths of eight health workers.
During the same period, Lebanon saw 25 attacks on its healthcare facilities, killing 16 people and injuring 29. These assaults not only cause direct casualties but also deprive communities of essential medical care. Mass displacement is another critical consequence, with over 100,000 people displaced in Iran and approximately 700,000 in Lebanon. These displaced populations often live in unsanitary conditions, heightening the risk of infectious disease outbreaks.
In Lebanon, 49 primary healthcare centers and five hospitals have been forced to close following evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military. The WHO has issued an urgent call to all parties involved in the conflict to protect civilians and healthcare services, ensure unhindered humanitarian access, and work towards de-escalation.