WHO ‘deeply concerned’ about ‘rising attacks’ on Lebanon healthcare

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday it was deeply concerned about Israeli attacks hitting healthcare workers and facilities in Lebanon, in its war against Hezbollah.

“We’re deeply concerned about the rising attacks on health workers and facilities in Lebanon. The numbers are really quite shocking. There have been 102 deaths, 83 injured” in such attacks, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told a media briefing in Geneva.

The WHO records attacks on healthcare but does not attribute blame.

“Overall we’ve had 55 attacks verified, but the Ministry of Health is reporting that there are much higher numbers, as many workers are being killed and injured while off duty — and this matters because health systems are already overstretched,” said Harris.

“Health workers are already overworked and displaced. So we are continuing to lose health workers at the very time when they are needed most.

“We are again and again and again emphasising that healthcare is not a target; health workers are not a target.

“Everybody is struggling to get the level of healthcare they need because of the continuing attacks on the health system — and the health system was already under enormous pressure,” she said, due to the underlying economic conditions in the country, and the challenge of getting fuel to keep the hospital generators going.

“Accessing health care is a real struggle for everyone in Lebanon, but of course it’s a greater struggle in the areas where the hospitals have been attacked,” said Harris.

“The hospitals are overwhelmed by casualties,” with the system “carrying an enormous burden”, she added.

Since fighting in Lebanon escalated on September 23, after nearly a year of tit-for-tat exchanges which Hezbollah said were in support of Hamas, the war has killed at least 1,829 people in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally of health ministry figures.

Cross-border fire from Lebanon killed seven people in Israel on Thursday, including four Thai nationals.

Israel’s military says 37 soldiers have been killed in Lebanon since ground operations began on September 30.