Statement by Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director at the emergencies presser

8 April 2026

Good morning. Thank you for joining us.

This week we marked World Health Day, but the health situation across the Eastern Mediterranean Region is fast deteriorating.

Multiple crises are claiming lives, driving mass displacement, and pushing already fragile health systems to the brink.

A few days ago, WHO was forced to suspend medical evacuations from Gaza-cutting off a critical pathway to care for patients-after a WHO contractor was tragically killed. When those delivering health care are not safe, patients are not safe.

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, more than 3.2 million people are displaced, over 33,000 injured, and nearly 2,300 have lost their lives. Hospitals are operating under intense strain-managing high volumes of trauma cases while trying to sustain essential care. With the recent bombing of the historic Pasteur Institute of Iran-home to two WHO collaborating centres-the tally of verified attacks on health care has reached 23.

In Lebanon, 1 in 5 people has been displaced. Nearly 5,000 have been injured and more than 1,500 have died. Emergency, surgical and intensive care services are under severe pressure. WHO has verified 106 attacks on health care.

In Iraq, 89 people have been killed and nearly 400 injured. With more than 500 security incidents recorded, Iraq is facing strikes from multiple sides. Insecurity-compounded by recent flooding-is disrupting access to care, supply chains, and the movement of health workers. Stability is on a knife edge.

Across the Region, public health risks are rising.

Displacement is increasing the threat of outbreaks.

Essential services are being disrupted.

And environmental hazards are raising serious concerns about safe drinking water, air pollution, and longer-term health impacts.

Critical energy, water and other civilian infrastructure have been impacted.

The Middle East is among the most water-stressed regions globally.

The Gulf hosts approximately 400 desalination plants, producing 40% of the world's desalinated water.

Several countries rely on desalination for up to 90% of municipal water supply.

We are also extremely concerned about the increasing risk of a radiological or nuclear incident.

IAEA has notified WHO of 8 strikes in the vicinity of Iranian nuclear facilities, marking an alarming pattern. Any strike near a nuclear facility could have severe and far-reaching consequences for public health and the environment.

WHO is on the ground, working side by side with countries to keep health systems functioning.

Through our leadership of the Health Cluster and engagement with Member States, UN agencies and partners, we are coordinating a unified response-aligned across country, regional and global levels.

We are working with national authorities and partners to strengthen preparedness and response measures for potential chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) incidents.

We are supporting trauma care in overwhelmed hospitals.

We are maintaining essential services-immunization, maternal and child health, and chronic disease care.

We are detecting and responding to outbreaks in real time, even in active conflict zones.

We are addressing environmental health risks and supporting communities to protect themselves.

And we are sustaining supply chains through our Dubai logistics hub-a global lifeline delivering medicines, vaccines and equipment across all six WHO regions.

Despite airspace disruptions, deliveries are progressively resuming.

Since 1 April, WHO has mobilized over 187 metric tonnes of medical supplies, valued at more than US$3.1 million, for multiple high-priority settings.

In Lebanon, a convoy has delivered 22 tonnes of supplies, supporting 50,000 patients.

For Gaza, a 22.2-tonne convoy is currently in progress, enough for 110,000 patients, with additional deliveries in the coming days.

A 78.5-tonne air shipment to Afghanistan is underway-one of the largest in recent weeks-aimed at reaching over 5 million people.

Further scale-up is planned, including additional air and land movements into Gaza, as access allows.

Here, I would like to acknowledge the strong solidarity shown by Member States and partners-within and beyond the Region-in supporting the health response, including hosting patients from Gaza and supporting the delivery of supplies from our Dubai Hub.

These efforts are substantial-but they are not enough.

If we do not act, outbreaks will spread further as surveillance and immunization falter.

The burden of untreated chronic and mental health conditions will rise.

Exposure to environmental, chemical and other hazards will increase.

And we risk losing the capacity to respond to high-impact threats.

In a Region already carrying half of global humanitarian needs, health system collapse will not stay contained-it will have regional and global consequences.

At the same time, other crises continue to unfold-from Sudan's massive humanitarian emergency to the recent magnitude 5.8 earthquake in Afghanistan-further stretching already overwhelmed systems.

Even before this escalation of hostilities, emergency operations were critically underfunded: of the US$689 million required for 2026, only 37% has been secured.

This week, WHO launched a US$30.3 million flash appeal to support the health response in Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Jordan.

We welcome the overnight news of the Pakistani-brokered two-week ceasefire and hope it holds across the Region.

In Lebanon, a ceasefire is also urgently needed. Further violence and displacement will continue to devastate the Lebanese health system and disproportionately impact the most vulnerable-including people with chronic conditions, the elderly and children.

Over the next two weeks and beyond, WHO will continue to respond at scale. We must not lose this window of opportunity to step up the health response. This requires the full and immediate funding of the flash appeal.

But two weeks is not enough. We need a permanent cessation of hostilities that allows communities to return, rebuild, and heal.