Global Health warns: Declining funding threatens the lives of millions in the Middle East
The seventy-second session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, held in Cairo, witnessed a special presentation to update the health emergency situation in the region, which is considered the most affected by humanitarian crises in the world
The session will continue for 3 days with the participation of health ministers and high-level representatives from 22 member states, along with partner organizations and civil society institutions, to discuss ways to confront health and humanitarian challenges. The situation is worsening in the region.
Dr. Hanan Hassan Balkhi, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said in her opening speech: “We meet in an ambiguous atmosphere in which hope is mixed with fear about the future of health in our region and the world. Wars, disasters, displacement, and the decline in humanitarian aid multiply the tragedies, and if we do not take action to correct the situation, history will remember our days as one of the dark ages. But there are still those among us who believe in the organization’s mission and everyone’s right to health.”
The region currently contains the highest global concentration of humanitarian crises, with more than 115 million people in need of urgent assistance, that is, nearly one in every six people in the region. The organization responds to 15 classified emergencies, including eight extremely serious cases. The region also hosts half of the internally displaced people and more than half of the refugees in the world.
The organization noted that the protracted crises in Sudan, Gaza, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia have pushed health systems to the brink of collapse, while international humanitarian support has declined to its lowest levels, which threatens to undermine the achievements made in health security and epidemic control.
It said. Dr. Annette Heinzelmann, Acting Director of the Regional Emergency Programme: “The environment in which we operate is changing for the worse. Aid delivery is becoming more difficult, respect for humanitarian law is declining, and global funding is on the verge of collapse. The funding gap for the Humanitarian Response Plan has reached 80%, which is an unprecedented number, but we continue to work because the cost of stopping is measured by the number of lives lost.”
Despite the harsh conditions, the World Health Organization has achieved tangible progress in several countries. Last year, cholera mortality rates remained within international limits at less than 1% in eight out of nine outbreaks. The recovery rates from acute malnutrition in children also exceeded 80% in more than 600 ambulance centers supported by the organization.
In Gaza, the organization provided fuel and medical supplies to more than 51 partners in 32 facilities, and provided more than 22 million treatments and surgeries since October 2023, in addition to supporting the medical evacuation of nearly 8,000 patients, including more than 5,000 children.
As for In Sudan, the organization continued to support hospitals and malnutrition treatment centers, and to contain cholera and measles outbreaks despite displacement and famine, as more than 17 million people received cholera vaccines between August 2024 and August 2025, and it also supported the treatment of 30,000 children for acute malnutrition during the first nine months of this year.
In Afghanistan, after the recent earthquake in August, it sent The organization deployed urgent response teams within 24 hours, and provided more than 52 tons of medical supplies and 13,000 consultations within a few days.
Dr. Balkhi stressed that the health support the organization provides represents a lifeline for millions of people, saying: “Without the interventions of the World Health Organization, the rates of death and disease would have been much higher.” But the emergency program is one of the areas of our work most affected by the lack of funding, and we need urgent support to continue our ability to meet emergency needs.”
Member states agreed that health security is a collective responsibility that requires greater investment in preparedness, cooperation, and information exchange, stressing the importance of sustainable financing for the organization’s emergency fund, which allows immediate action when an emergency occurs. Crises.
Dr. Heinzelmann concluded her speech with a strong call, saying: “We call on Member States to allocate sufficient funding to protect the Organization’s emergency management capabilities, defend health care and the principles of humanitarian law. Preparedness is not a financial burden, but rather an investment in peace, stability, and the lives of peoples.”
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