Thursday, 26 March 2026
Middle East Escalation of Conflict – Global Situation Report #1, 26 March 2026
The first global public WHO situation report on the conflict in the Middle East has been published and can be accessed here: https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/middle-east-escalation-of-conflict–global-external-situation-report–1—26-march-2026
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
Across the affected area, WHO assesses the main health risks as trauma, injuries and disability; continued access to health care, especially for people who have been displaced, including for the management of non-communicable diseases, and the potential for diseases to spread in shelters; risks associated with strikes on desalination plants reducing people’s access to safe water; the potential for a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) incident with health consequences; heat-related illnesses as the weather warms; mental health distress; and respiratory diseases.
In addition to the immediate health impacts of the conflict, strikes on oil storage facilities and refineries in Iran, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia raise concerns about air
pollution and wider regional environmental exposure; and fuel shortages may affect the functionality of health systems.
Attacks on health care in multiple countries have led to health worker deaths and have wider consequences in reducing access to care in the short, and sometimes longer term, depending on the incident.
Disruptions to supply chains, rising transportation costs and variability in the energy market can have knock-on effects across supply chains and may limit access to essential medicines and supplies.
WHO response
WHO is mitigating these threats where possible, by responding to requests for support from health authorities that range from training to supplies, expanding disease surveillance systems for shelters, coordinating other health partners, and reporting on attacks on health care.
Working with UN and other partners, WHO is mitigating disruptions to humanitarian medical supply chains, identifying alternate routes and supply locations to continue to meet the global needs and to deliver supplies where the needs are most acute.
