SITUATION REPORT: Middle East Escalation of Conflict - Global Situation Report #5 - 23 April 2026

No images? Click here Thursday, 23 April 2026 Middle East Escalation of Conflict, Global external situation report #5 - 23 April 2026 The fifth global public WHO situation report on the conflict in the Middle East has been published.  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. Acute health threats A fragile extension of the ceasefire offers a limited and uncertain pause in hostilities across parts of the region, with the situation remaining highly volatile.  Acute and sustained health threats persist across affected countries, driven by large-scale displacement, overcrowding in collective shelters, and widespread disruption of essential services.  Trauma-related injuries, interruptions to life-sustaining care for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and constrained access to essential medicines continue to represent the most immediate and consequential health risks.  In Lebanon, although some have returned home, over one million people remain displaced, with heightened risk of communicable disease outbreaks, including acute watery diarrhoeal disease and cholera, as water, sanitation, and hygiene systems are compromised. No new environmental incidents were reported during the week.  Residual risks persist from earlier damage to energy and water infrastructure, including potential contamination and ongoing threats to water desalination systems.  Reduced cargo availability is constraining medical supply chains and cold chain transport, although no large-scale cold chain failures have occurred.  Reports indicate some reduced production of pharmaceutical and medical commodities due to fuel and petrochemical constraints.  Mitigation measures are being implemented in multiple countries, including prioritisation of fuel for hospitals and critical health services, alongside increased reliance on backup generators to sustain essential care. Continued internal and cross-border displacement from Lebanon is expected to further disrupt primary health care, maternal and child health services, and noncommunicable disease management, while placing additional strain on already fragile health systems.  According to a report from the United Nations Development Programme, the broader socioeconomic impacts of the current crisis are substantial, with up to 8.8 million people at risk of falling into poverty, including over 5 million in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and projected economic losses reaching as high as US$299 billion. WHO global and regional response WHO continues to work with national authorities, its country offices, and partners to monitor developments closely, support continuity of life-saving services, and strengthen preparedness and response planning in a context where humanitarian and health needs are expected to remain severe even under the current ceasefire extension. WHO remains concerned about the risk of damage to civilian infrastructure, including healthcare facilities and water systems such as desalination plants, which would significantly compound public health threats.  WHO is supporting Ministries of Health in maintaining essential supplies and service delivery.  WHO is also reinforcing collaboration with UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, leveraging their proximity and operational presence to support affected communities effectively. WHO is also monitoring seafarers’ health in collaboration with partners. Despite the challenges, the WHO Global Logistics Hub in Dubai continues to facilitate the movement of approximately 100 metric tonnes of essential health supplies per week, valued at around US$1 million, to support humanitarian health operations worldwide.  This includes the deployment to the region of WHO trauma and emergency surgery supplies, designed to support the immediate management of trauma and life-threatening injuries, including emergency surgical care, wound management, anaesthesia support, and mass casualty response in settings where health system capacity is severely disrupted. WHO is working with its country offices to systematically collect more granular data on attacks on health care, both to strengthen advocacy and to inform operational planning by identifying where health system gaps are most acute and where assistance is most urgently required, thereby enhancing preparedness and response to ongoing and future incidents. Safeguarding measures, including prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, are being integrated into emergency operations and partner engagement across countries. For additional information on the global situation and response, please visit https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/middle-east-conflict Media contacts: mediainquiries@who.int   You are receiving this NO-REPLY email because you are included on a WHO mail list. If you have been forwarded this update you can click here to subscribe. Journalists may send feedback to WHO Media Team         Share    Tweet    Share    Forward  World Health Organization, Avenue Appia 20, 1202 Geneva 27, Switzerland  Unsubscribe