GENEVA, March 12. /TASS/. More than 1,800 people have died and at least 12,500 more have been injured in Iran, Lebanon, and Israel since the beginning of the current escalation in the Middle East, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

"More than ten days into the recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East, health systems are under immense strain," he wrote on his X page. "Reports indicate over 1,300 deaths and 9,000 injuries in Iran, at least 570 deaths and over 1,400 injuries in Lebanon, and 15 deaths with 2,142 injuries in Israel."

According to the WHO chief, the number of attacks on health facilities in the region is growing. Thus, in his words, since February 28, the organization registered 18 such attacks in Iran, 25 - in Lebanon, and two - in Israel. "These attacks not only claim lives but also deprive communities of critical care when they need it most," he stressed.

"Public health risks are soaring, with over 100,000 people in Iran and up to 700,000 in Lebanon displaced under deteriorating conditions, facing limited access to clean water and sanitation. Vulnerable populations, especially women and children, are at heightened risk of illness," he wrote. "WHO calls on all parties to protect civilians and health care, ensure unimpeded humanitarian access, and work toward de-escalation. The urgency for action is critical to prevent the collapse of already fragile health systems and to support the recovery of impacted communities."

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were struck. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel. US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also hit. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some other key Iranian leaders were killed in the joint US-Israeli attack.