Middle East carries half of global humanitarian burden — WHO
By Chioma Obinna
The World Health Organisation has sounded a grave warning that the Eastern Mediterranean region now carries nearly half of the world’s humanitarian burden, even though it accounts for less than 10 per cent of the global population, exposing millions to worsening disease outbreaks, collapsing health systems and preventable deaths.
Speaking at an emergency press briefing, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Hanan Balkhy, said the region is at a dangerous tipping point as conflicts, outbreaks and climate emergencies converge with massive funding shortages.
“Put simply, one in every two people affected by humanitarian crises worldwide is in this region.”
She disclosed that of the $1.12 billion WHO requires globally for emergency operations in 2026, more than half is needed in the Eastern Mediterranean alone, yet over 40 per cent of that funding remains unmet.
“These are not simply funding gaps. They are gaps in medicines, vaccinations, disease surveillance and emergency care. Gaps that determine life or death for millions,” she warned.
Balkhy said the consequences of underfunding are already evident across the region, with mothers unable to access maternity care, children missing routine immunisation and communities increasingly vulnerable to outbreaks.
She pointed to the devastating health emergencies in Gaza, Lebanon and Sudan as clear examples of systems under severe strain.
In Gaza Strip, she said the health system has been pushed to the brink, with over 214,000 communicable disease cases reported in May alone and at least 43,000 people needing long-term rehabilitation for severe injuries.
“The health crisis in Gaza is becoming a long-term public health crisis with consequences that will be measured for years to come,” she said.
In Lebanon, more than 4,200 people have been killed and over 12,000 injured since hostilities escalated, while attacks on healthcare facilities have killed 135 health workers and injured over 400 others.
She also raised concerns over a worsening cholera outbreak in Sudan, where health authorities have recorded 838 suspected cases and 117 deaths in West Kordofan, amid conflict and flooding.
Beyond active conflicts, Balkhy warned that Ebola remains a growing regional threat following the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern linked to the Bundibugyo virus, with preparedness now intensified in Sudan, Somalia and Djibouti.
She said WHO’s emergency logistics hub in Dubai is currently handling the largest number of simultaneous emergency operations since the COVID-19 pandemic, dispatching $5 million worth of medical supplies to 26 countries and reaching over eight million people.
Balkhy stressed that climate change and natural disasters are worsening vulnerabilities across the Greater Horn of Africa, leaving millions of children and pregnant women exposed to hunger, malnutrition and disease.
“We must close these gaps now. For too many people, we are already too late,” she said.
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