“Protecting Health Care in Conflict”, a webinar organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, highlighted the devastating impact of attacks on health care across the Region and called for stronger action to protect health workers, patients, health facilities and medical services.

The Region accounts for nearly half of all reported attacks on health care globally and more than 80% of associated deaths. On average, health care is attacked once every 12 hours somewhere in the Region. So far in 2026, WHO has recorded 438 attacks on health care across the Region, resulting in more than 773 deaths and 1123 injuries.

The webinar brought together speakers from WHO, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières and the World Innovation Summit for Health to discuss the impact of attacks and identify practical steps to prevent them, protect health workers and patients and maintain essential health services.