The director-general of the World Well being Organisation (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, Sunday condemned contemporary assaults on well being employees in southern Lebanon, saying that 9 paramedics have been killed in 5 separate incidents.
Ghebreyesus, in a put up on X, stated the assaults additionally left seven medics injured whereas on obligation within the subject.
He famous that the newest incidents have elevated the variety of well being personnel killed in Lebanon in March to 51, making it the second deadliest month for well being employees within the nation since WHO started monitoring such assaults in October 2023.
He added that greater than 120 well being employees have additionally been wounded for the reason that escalation of violence on 2 March, with many of the casualties recorded in southern Lebanon.
Offering particulars of the incidents, Ghebreyesus stated groups of medics have been struck whereas responding to emergencies throughout a number of villages.
In Zoutar al-Sharqiya, 5 well being employees have been killed, and two have been injured, one critically in poor health.
In Kfar Tibnit, two well being employees have been killed whereas three others have been wounded.
He added that one paramedic was killed in an assault on a well being facility in Ghandouriyeh, whereas one other died in a strike in Jezzine. Two extra have been injured in an assault on Kfar Dajjal.
Mr Ghebreyesus warned that the repeated assaults are severely disrupting healthcare supply within the area.
He stated 4 hospitals and 51 major healthcare centres have been pressured to close down, whereas a number of others are working at decreased capability resulting from injury.
“Well being employees are protected below worldwide humanitarian regulation and may by no means be focused,” he stated, calling for an instantaneous finish to the assaults.
The newest incidents got here amid the continuing US/Israel–Iran struggle, which has intensified in latest weeks and unfold throughout a number of international locations within the Center East.
It was beforehand reported that the battle escalated right into a full-scale struggle after joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, triggering retaliatory assaults throughout the area.
Since then, the violence has more and more affected civilian infrastructure, together with well being amenities and vitality installations, elevating issues about entry to important companies.
In Lebanon alone, Reuters experiences that authorities say greater than 1,100 individuals have been killed since early March, together with youngsters, whereas tons of of well being employees have been affected.
Throughout the area, hundreds have been killed, with many extra injured or displaced.
(Premium Instances)