The humanitarian cost of modern warfare has become increasingly visible through the damage inflicted on medical systems that civilians rely on for survival. According to the World Health Organization, officials have verified multiple attacks affecting healthcare infrastructure during the ongoing regional hostilities involving Iran, the United States, and Israel. At a press briefing, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported that the organization had verified 13 attacks on healthcare facilities in Iran and one in Lebanon, incidents that resulted in the deaths of four healthcare workers and injuries to 25 others. The WHO further indicated that four ambulances were damaged and that nearby strikes caused additional minor damage to hospitals and other medical sites. These verified incidents illustrate how conflict environments place enormous pressure on medical services that are essential to civilian life, particularly when healthcare facilities must continue operating amid security risks and infrastructure damage.
International humanitarian organizations warn that attacks on healthcare systems deepen civilian suffering during conflict
Officials and humanitarian organizations have emphasized that the consequences of such incidents extend beyond immediate casualties. Statements released by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei indicated that Iranian authorities had called for international solidarity after hospitals, schools, and residential areas were affected by air strikes. In a verified social media statement cited by regional media outlets, Baghaei stated that strikes had impacted civilian infrastructure including hospitals and educational institutions, warning that continued attacks on such sites threaten global humanitarian values.
Humanitarian agencies have also highlighted the legal protections granted to medical infrastructure under international law. The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Pir Hossein Kolivand, publicly released a letter addressed to the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross urging a clear condemnation of attacks affecting children and medical centers. Kolivand noted that monitoring and protection mechanisms outlined in the Geneva Conventions should be activated and stressed that the affected facilities had no military function.
Meanwhile, ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric stated at the start of the conflict that the rules of war must be respected as binding obligations, emphasizing that hospitals, homes, and schools must remain protected and that medical personnel must be allowed to carry out their work safely.
Evidence of the strain on healthcare systems has also emerged from Tehran. Footage broadcast by state media and analyzed through geolocation by Al Jazeera showed damage around Gandhi Hospital after a projectile struck a nearby location. According to Iran’s Medical Council, damage to the hospital’s in-vitro fertilization department forced staff to move sensitive medical materials, while nurses were seen transferring an infant to safety during emergency operations.
Health authorities and humanitarian organizations continue to emphasize that protecting medical infrastructure remains central to safeguarding civilians during wartime, as hospitals, emergency responders, and aid organizations play a critical role in sustaining communities amid ongoing conflict.