The military escalation in the Middle East is causing an increasingly serious and widespread humanitarian impact. The head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) of the HIM (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), Tom Fletcher, warned this Tuesday that violence is generating a “domino effect” which aggravates already existing crises in numerous countries in the region.
As Fletcher explained in a statement, homes, hospitals and schools have been hit by attacks in several points of the conflict, including Iran, Lebanon, Syria, the occupied Palestinian territory, Israel and several Gulf countries. “Civilians must be protected, period”stressed the senior United Nations official.
Given the extension of the conflict, the UN has activated contingency plans in Iran and other countries that are already suffering or could be dragged down by the crisis, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria or Yemen. However, Fletcher warned that the humanitarian response faces great difficulties due to the limited presence of international organizations in Iran and the reduced operational space on the ground.
Crises that worsen
The head of OCHA also warned of the indirect effects that the war is having on countries that They were already facing extremely fragile situations.
In Afghanistan, Nearly 22 million people need humanitarian aid and more than 17 million are food insecure. In Pakistan, where around 1.3 million refugees live, instability in Iran could lead to new displacements towards border areas such as the province of Balochistan.
The situation is also deteriorating in the occupied Palestinian territory. Fletcher explained that access restrictions have limited the entry of essential supplies. Although the crossing of Kerem Shalom has reopened to allow the passage of fuel and humanitarian aid, other points such as the passage of Rafah They remain closed and medical evacuations remain suspended, leaving thousands of patients without access to specialized treatment.
In West BankFurthermore, the closure of checkpoints has severely restricted the mobility of the Palestinian population and makes the work of humanitarian teams difficult.
Movements and blocked routes
The impact of the conflict is also visible in Lebanonwhere bombings in the south of the country, Nabatieh, Beirut and the Bekaa Valley have caused dozens of deaths and injuries. According to the UN, More than 60,000 people have had to take refuge in collective centers after leaving their homes.
Added to all this is the closure of airspace and the interruption of energy and maritime routes in the region. Fletcher warned that the threat Strait of Hormuz blockade It is affecting humanitarian response capacity and could lead to an increase in the price of food and fuel.
“The combination of direct violence, displacement and economic pressure threatens to worsen a humanitarian crisis that was already serious before this escalation”concluded the head of the UN
