Nearly 50% of attacks on health care in Lebanon proved fatal, 'higher' than any active conflict: WHO

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said that nearly half of the attacks on health care in Lebanon have proven fatal, adding the percentage is "higher" than in any active conflict today worldwide.

Between Oct. 7, 2023 and Nov. 21, 2024, 47% of attacks on health care – 65 out of 137 – have proven fatal to at least one health worker or patient, WHO representative in Lebanon Abdinasir Abubakar told a UN briefing in Geneva.

"This is a higher percentage than in any conflict today across the globe. In comparison, the global average is only 13.3% based on the (Surveillance System Attacks on Health Care or SSA) figures from 13 countries or territories in the same period ... among them, Ukraine, Sudan, (and the) occupied Palestinian territory," Abubakar said.

In the occupied Palestinian territory, 9.6% of incidents resulted in the death of at least one medical professional or patient.

According to SSA, 226 health workers between Oct. 7, 2023 and Nov. 18, 2024 were killed in Lebanon and 199 injured.

"These figures reveal yet again an extremely worrying pattern," Abubakar said. "It’s unequivocal – depriving civilians of access to lifesaving care and targeting health providers is a breach of international humanitarian law."

Israel has engaged in cross-border warfare with Lebanon, launching an air campaign in late September against what it claims are Hezbollah targets.

Nearly 3,600 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Lebanon, with more than 5,000 injured and over 1 million displaced since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Tel Aviv on Oct. 1 expanded the conflict by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon.