WHO Warns of Disease Outbreaks Amid Lebanon Crisis

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised alarms over potential disease outbreaks in Lebanon due to overcrowded displacement shelters and the closure of hospitals amid ongoing conflict, Arab News reported yesterday.

As Israeli ground operations escalate against Hezbollah, over 1,000 lives have been lost in the past two weeks, prompting mass evacuations.

Ian Clarke, the WHO’s deputy incident manager for Lebanon, highlighted the heightened risk of diseases such as acute watery diarrhea and hepatitis A, along with vaccine-preventable illnesses.

The UN health agency reported that the healthcare system is severely overstretched, with five hospitals closed and four operating at reduced capacity. Many medical professionals have fled the violence or been ordered to evacuate by Lebanese authorities, exacerbating the crisis.