10 days of conflict escalating, Middle East health system facing limitations

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the health system is in serious crisis due to the expansion of conflict in the Middle East. As the conflict continues for more than 10 days, casualties are rapidly increasing, large-scale population movements and attacks on medical facilities are continuing.

According to WHO, more than 1,300 people have been killed and 9,000 injured in Iran, and at least 570 people have been killed and more than 1,400 injured in Lebanon. In Israel, 15 people were killed and 2,142 were injured.

Attack on medical infrastructure, serious violation of international humanitarian law

The most worrying aspect of the conflict is that life-saving health services themselves are under attack. According to WHO verification, since February 28, there have been 18 attacks on medical facilities in Iran, resulting in the death of 8 medical staff. During the same period in Lebanon, 16 people were killed and 29 injured in 25 attacks.

These attacks are serious not only because of the loss of life, but also because they deprive communities of access to medical care in their most desperate moments. International humanitarian law requires that medical staff, patients, and medical facilities be protected at all times.

Massive population movement and spread of public health threats

Beyond the immediate loss of life, the conflict is causing a widespread public health crisis. Current estimates suggest that more than 100,000 people in Iran have migrated to other regions due to instability, and up to 700,000 people have become internally displaced in Lebanon.

Many of them are living in temporary shelters with poor sanitary conditions and have limited access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities. These conditions increase the risk of infectious diseases such as respiratory infections and diarrheal diseases, and pose a greater threat to vulnerable groups such as women and children.

Environmental risks are also increasing. In Iran, smoke from oil fires and damaged infrastructure exposes nearby communities to toxic pollutants, raising concerns about respiratory problems, eye and skin irritation, and water and food contamination.

Access to medical services is rapidly worsening

Access to health care is severely limited in many countries. In Lebanon, 49 primary medical institutions and 5 hospitals were closed due to the Israeli military's evacuation order. As medical demand rapidly increases, the availability of essential services is decreasing.

In occupied Palestine, travel restrictions and checkpoint closures are delaying access for ambulances and mobile clinics in several areas of the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, medical evacuations have been suspended since February 28, and hospitals are continuing to operate amid shortages of medicine, medical supplies, and fuel by rationing fuel for essential medical services such as emergency and trauma care, maternal and newborn services, and infectious disease control.

WHO Global Logistics Hub is also affected

Temporary airspace restrictions are also disrupting the movement of medical supplies from the WHO global logistics hub in Dubai. More than 50 requests for emergency supplies that were supposed to benefit more than 1.5 million people in 25 countries were affected, creating a significant backlog.

The current priority delivery volume includes supplies for Egypt's Al-Ahri implementation in response to the Gaza Strip and supplies destined for Lebanon and Afghanistan. The first shipment carrying cholera response supplies for Mozambique is scheduled to depart the hub this week.

When did this trend start?

This expansion of the conflict is even more concerning because it occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean region, which was already experiencing the highest level of humanitarian demand in the world. In this region, 115 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, almost half of the world's population in need.

Since the Gaza conflict in October 2023, the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East has continued to deepen. This expansion of the conflict is adding additional burden to the already weak health system. Currently, 70% of humanitarian health emergency appeals are underfunded.

Future outlook [AI analysis]

Unless health services are protected, sustained humanitarian access is strengthened, and financial and operational support for the humanitarian health response is not strengthened, the burden on vulnerable populations and already fragile health systems is likely to continue to grow.

WHO called on all parties to protect civilians and health services, ensure unimpeded and continued humanitarian access, and de-escalate the conflict. We need to allow communities to begin recovery and move toward peace.

From Korea's perspective, the expansion of the Middle East conflict is an issue that needs to be watched in terms of energy supply stability, the safety of overseas Koreans, and humanitarian support policies. In particular, there is a possibility that energy price volatility will increase in the Korean economy, which is highly dependent on imports of crude oil from the Middle East, and participation in humanitarian aid at the government level is also expected to be reviewed.