WHO releases US$2 million in emergency funds to Lebanon, Iraq and Syria

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 23: The logo of the WHO is seen on panel in front of the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 23, 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. (Photo by Robert Hradil/Getty Images)

The World Health Organization said on Sunday it had released US$2 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE) to support the health response in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria amidst the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

The conflict has triggered a large-scale population movement, the WHO said last week, estimating that more than 100,000 people in Iran have relocated, and up to 700,000 people in Lebanon have been internally displaced.

Of the funds, $1 million has been allocated to Lebanon to strengthen the WHO’s emergency coordination through the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, scale up trauma care, reinforce disease surveillance, and procure and distribute essential medicines and medical supplies, the agency said in a statement.

Iraq and Syria have each been allocated $500,000 to support emergency co-ordination and mass-casualty management, procure and distribute essential medicines and supplies, provide health services for displaced populations, and strengthen disease surveillance and community outreach, it added.

“At a time when health services are already facing significant challenges, support is essential to sustain frontline health workers and maintain critical care services,” Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean said.

(Reporting by Rhea Rose Abraham in Bengaluru; Editing by Alexander Smith)