WHO urges halt to Mideast fighting, warns of worsening health crisis

Agency says regional emergency is 'unfolding in real time' as access to care collapses

A World Health Organization official on Thursday called for an immediate halt to hostilities in the Middle East, warning that a regional health crisis is “unfolding in real time.” Hanan Balkhy, the WHO’s regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said health systems across the region are under severe strain and that medical facilities must be treated as safe havens. “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,” she said. Balkhy warned the crisis goes beyond casualties, citing a collapse in access to health care across multiple areas. She said officials are also preparing for potential risks involving nuclear sites and warned that attacks on water desalination plants would be “a disaster.” She noted that millions have been displaced in recent weeks, including about 3.2 million people in Iran and more than 1 million in Lebanon. Balkhy said the long-term effects of the conflict could include rising maternal mortality, worsening mental health and large numbers of children left without families or education. She also expressed concern about the risk of nuclear facilities being struck, whether deliberately or accidentally, noting past incidents targeting such sites. Recent fighting has included Israeli airstrikes and a ground offensive in southern Lebanon following cross-border attacks by Hezbollah, as well as a joint US-Israeli offensive on Iran. Iran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and other countries in the region.