The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently investigating reports of airstrikes targeting Jabal Amel Hospital in Tyre, a city in southern Lebanon, on Monday, amidst an alarming increase in assaults on medical facilities within the nation.
Preliminary data from Lebanese officials indicates that the strikes have resulted in injuries to at least 86 individuals, including healthcare personnel, at the hospital.
Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar, the WHO representative in Lebanon, reported that the assaults “inflicted considerable damage… to both the emergency and intensive care units.”
In a statement made from Beirut on Tuesday, Dr. Abubakar noted that Jabal Amel is among the limited number of hospitals still operational in the southern region.
Escalating violence
Within a span of three months, the WHO has confirmed approximately 190 incidents targeting healthcare, leading to the deaths of 128 medical workers and injuries to 332 others. The last week alone has witnessed 11 separate attacks.
“These assaults result in fatalities and injuries, while also depriving individuals of necessary health services,” remarked the WHO representative.
The Tyre district has experienced the most severe consequences from the recent hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces; two out of three local hospitals, Jabal Amel and Hiram—also struck last Sunday—have sustained damage, while the remaining facility is “overwhelmed due to the surge in injured patients,” according to Dr. Abubakar.
Access to essential health services is “critically limited,” he emphasized, particularly in southern Lebanon, where patients may endure delays of up to 48 hours to access the nearest appropriate health facilities.
A critical situation
Dr. Abubakar underscored that “six hospitals have yet to resume maternity care services and are currently restricted to emergency room operations.” He added, “For expectant mothers and newborns, delays in medical attention can be a matter of life or death.”
Additionally, he highlighted the precarious health conditions in shelters housing approximately 130,000 individuals who have fled the ongoing conflict. Displacement has surged following the latest Israeli evacuation directives, with rising violence and alerts of potential strikes on southern Beirut prompting a Security Council meeting on Monday.
The UN health agency has been tracking infectious disease outbreaks in shelters and surrounding communities, reporting a “notable rise in cases of acute watery diarrhoea.”
“With the ongoing summer season, the risk of cholera may be increasing,” Dr. Abubakar cautioned.
As humanitarian requirements surpass the existing response capabilities, he stressed the importance of maintaining funding for vital health services.
“We urgently need an end to attacks on healthcare and active measures to protect medical facilities,” he asserted, reaffirming the call for a lasting ceasefire and enduring peace.
Since the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah fighters began on March 2, Lebanon has seen nearly 3,400 fatalities and close to 10,400 injuries, predominantly among civilians.
“These months have been among the deadliest for Lebanon since the conflict reignited in October 2023,” Dr. Abubakar stated.
A ceasefire mediated by the United States was implemented on April 17, but has not been fully adhered to by either party. It has been nominally extended twice, most recently on May 16 for an additional 45 days.
