WHO Confirms Iran’s Health System Coping After 6 Hospital Evacuations

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that the ongoing war between the United States and Israel against Iran has forced the evacuation of six hospitals, but the country’s healthcare system remains functional for now.

WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Hanan Balkhy, told Reuters that Iran’s health infrastructure has so far been able to manage the growing number of casualties.

“The primary healthcare and the health infrastructure of Iran is quite good and robust, and they are able to accommodate the casualties as of now,” Balkhy said.

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, said more than 1,300 people have been killed in the country since the conflict began on February 28, while over 7,000 others have been injured.

The WHO, which maintains an office in Tehran and supports Iranian authorities on disease management, said it has verified 18 attacks on healthcare facilities and confirmed that eight medical workers have been killed.

Balkhy said the agency has contingency plans in place to deploy emergency medical supplies if the situation worsens.

She warned that “black rain” caused by toxic compounds carried in smoke from burning oil facilities could further strain the healthcare system by increasing respiratory infections.

The conflict also forced the WHO to suspend flights carrying emergency medical supplies from its humanitarian hub in Dubai, but Balkhy said those operations have now resumed.