Thursday, 09 April 2026
Middle East Escalation of Conflict - Global Situation Report #3, 09 April 2026
This is the third global public WHO situation report on the conflict in the Middle East. It covers the health situation and WHO operational updates from affected countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean and European regions, as well as WHO's global response activities and priorities.
Middle East Escalation of Conflict, Global external situation report #3 - 9 April 2026
Acute health threats
The two-week ceasefire is a reprieve in Iran though not Lebanon; in itself, it will not address the challenges of health needs across the Middle East, and humanitarian access and operational space are critical challenges.
Attacks on health care have increased across the region, undermining health system functionality and violating international humanitarian law. The rise has been particularly pronounced in Lebanon, with attacks affecting hospitals, ambulances and health workers.
The conflict has damaged civilian infrastructure, particularly energy and desalination facilities: WHO is aware of four strikes on water desalination, in Iran, Bahrain and Kuwait. In the Middle East, several countries depend on desalination for 70–100% of their drinking water. Disruptions can trigger water shortages, hospital shutdowns, and waterborne disease outbreaks.
Delivery of humanitarian health supplies to the region and elsewhere is constrained by regional airspace restrictions and rising transportation costs. However, to date, due to WHO and partners working on contingencies and other factors, no significant shortages of medical supplies have been reported. Manufacturing and the global availability of key health commodities remain stable.
The main health threats remain risks related to trauma and injuries, interruption to non-communicable disease care, disrupted access to health care including for persons who have been displaced, the potential for diseases to spread in shelters, and radiological, nuclear and industrial chemical risks, including the potential impact on environmental health and access to water. Pre-existing mental health and psychosocial support needs have been exacerbated by the violence, displacement, and increasing acute psychological distress and relapse of mental health conditions amid limited access to care.
WHO global and regional response
WHO, led by its Regional Offices for the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe, and in collaboration with partners, is actively mapping and prioritizing health risks across the regions, including those arising from population displacement and direct attacks on critical infrastructure. WHO’s response is guided by strong coordination at regional level and depends on timely, reliable information from the field, as well as sustained donor support.
WHO will continue to define and implement practical actions, including consolidating relevant evidence to support Ministries of Health and communities on the safe management and use of water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as providing technical support around risk mitigation linked to air quality and environmental pollution.
Efforts will focus on identifying and supporting backup solutions for critical health care facilities in the event of energy loss, strengthening immunization coverage in pockets of vulnerability, and ensuring readiness for disease outbreaks through the pre-positioning of essential medical supplies from both local and international sources. In addition, WHO is supporting contingency planning to ensure continuity of care, the continuity of essential health services, enhancing surveillance and early warning systems, coordinating partner response efforts, and providing technical guidance on trauma care, mental health and psychosocial support, strengthening the capacity of countries and partners to systematically record attacks on health care and the protection of health workers and facilities in line with humanitarian principles.
While the focus on emergency health services in parallel with continuation of ongoing programmes continues, WHO advocates in favor of shifting the attention to the continuity of essential services in shelters and in reaching hard to reach communities with mobile clinics and community services, as the security situation permits. Engaging with communities, understanding their concerns and monitoring needs is important as the crisis evolves. WHO is developing contextualized guidance to address the complex, multi-dimensional health threats facing communities in the current crisis.
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