AMMAN, 31 March 2026 – Health care in the Middle East and wider region has come under attack about once every six hours on average since conflict escalated a month ago across Lebanon, Iran, and Israel, Save the Children said.
Since 28 February, at least 121 attacks on health care have been recorded across the three countries, disrupting lifesaving services and putting patients and staff at risk, according to data from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Surveillance of Attacks on Health Care monitor. Of these, 87 were recorded in Lebanon, 28 in Iran, and six in Israel.
Attacks on health care have killed 66 people and injured 126 others in Iran and Lebanon, with the majority of verified casualties in Lebanon.[1]
In Lebanon, repeated attacks on health facilities as well as the displacement of about 1.2 million people have severely limited access to care, leaving many without essential services. Pregnant women have been left with no choice but to give birth in unsafe conditions, such as schools and sports stadiums that are being used as collective shelters.
Save the Children staff met Mariam*, 29, from south Lebanon, who is eight months pregnant and living in a collective shelter. She is one of at least 13,500 pregnant women who have been forced from their homes, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Mariam said that being displaced without access to her regular doctor or family support has left her anxious about giving birth.
"I hope the war ends soon so I can go back and give birth in my own town. It’s so hard to imagine having to give birth in these schools, especially without my parents by my side. To be honest, I rely on my mother to help me. Usually, I have natural births, but I have thyroid issues that make things complicated. I just want the war to end so I can go back and give birth in my own area, with my own doctor. She understands me, and I understand her.”
The World Health Organization has warned that conflict situations can rapidly trigger multiple overlapping health emergencies, including traumatic injuries, infectious disease outbreaks, and mental health crises at a time when health care systems are disrupted and at risk.
Nora Ingdal, Country Director, Save the Children Lebanon, said:
“We are seeing a dangerous erosion of protections for health workers and hospitals, erosions that were already well underway in the appalling conflict in Gaza.
“In Lebanon alone, at least 55 health facilities have been forced to close due to airstrikes and forced displacement orders. These are places children rely on for life-saving care, whether it be vaccines, new baby checks, help with broken bones and accidents, sexual violence or cancer treatment. You cannot just close a hospital and expect children to be ok.
“The threat of further strikes on ambulances and medical facilities is spreading fear and anxiety while laying the groundwork for more inevitable civilian deaths, injuries, and untreated pain. We cannot accept a world where those who save lives are targeted. Governments have long championed international humanitarian law that protects aid and health workers, and now is the time to act to prevent continued harm in Lebanon and across the wider region.”
Save the Children is urgently calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for all member states to deploy all available diplomatic tools to secure a de-escalation and end the violence engulfing the region.
While hostilities are ongoing, the laws of war must be followed with all parties taking urgent measures to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and fully comply with international humanitarian law and human rights law.
Children must be off limits, and their homes, schools and hospitals must never come under attack. The use of explosive weapons in populated areas, to whose effects children are uniquely and disproportionately vulnerable, should be avoided at all costs. Humanitarian workers and first responders must be protected so they can deliver lifesaving assistance safely and without obstruction.
Save the Children is responding across the region, with programmes in Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
ENDS
Notes to Editor:
- Between 28 February and 29 March, the WHO’s Surveillance of Attacks on Health Care monitor as recorded and/or verified at least 121 attacks on health care in Iran, Israel, and Lebanon, in a 30-day period. This equals to an average of about one attack every six hours. SSA Home | Index According to the WHO’s Surveillance of Attacks on Health Care monitor, attacks on health care have killed at least 66 people and injured 126 others, as of 30 March 2026. [1]
- https://x.com/WHOLebanon/status/2037646591687811283/photo/3