UNITED NATIONS, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Despite the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and the Gaza truce, UN humanitarians said Friday that essential services for people in need across the Middle East are under extreme strain.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the health system in Lebanon has been critically overstretched. A World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Lebanon warned that some hospitals may run out of trauma supplies within days due to the surge in casualties.
OCHA said that Lebanon's Ministry of Health reported that the strikes on Wednesday across the country killed more than 300 people and injured more than 1,100 others, bringing the total number of people killed since March 2 to nearly 1,900, with more than 6,000 others injured.
"Roughly three weeks' worth of supplies were depleted in just one day -- that was this Wednesday," WHO said, referring to the massive Israeli attacks on Lebanon. "Disruptions to supply chains and rising demand are also threatening the availability of medicine for chronic diseases, such as insulin."
WHO and its partners continued to support the Ministry of Public Health, reaching more than 57,000 patients with medication to treat acute diseases and providing over 37,000 subsidized primary healthcare consultations since March 2, the office said.
OCHA is also concerned about attacks on health and emergency services. On Friday, a strike on an ambulance killed two first responders in the town of Deir Qanoun Ras el-Ain in Tyre.
The office said that needs continue to exceed the available capacity.
"As the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, the United Nations calls for an immediate de-escalation and halt to hostilities," OCHA said. "All parties must protect civilians and fully respect international humanitarian law. Health workers, ambulances and medical facilities must be protected. The UN calls for funding and other support and access to deliver aid safely, without impediments."
At the six-month mark of the ceasefire in Gaza, OCHA said humanitarian organizations continue to do their best to deliver despite many hurdles.
The office said its partners leading on food security reported that in the first week of April, they distributed two food parcels, high-energy biscuits and one bag of flour per family to almost 250,000 people. The distributions covered about 75 percent of their minimum caloric needs, up from 50 percent in previous months. The aid was complemented by cash assistance, which allowed families to buy additional food.
"Education partners continue to help children learn through temporary sites," OCHA said. "Last week, they installed five new learning spaces in Khan Younis and North Gaza governorates, while repairing another 17 classrooms. Overall, more than 580 temporary learning spaces are now operating across Gaza, serving nearly 360,000 children. Last month, most of those girls and boys received around 1.2 million nutritionally enhanced snacks."
The office said that in the West Bank, Israeli forces extended a military order by two months, prolonging the displacement of Palestinians from three refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarm governorates. The UN Palestinian relief agency estimated that it affects more than 33,000 people who have been displaced since January 2025.
OCHA called for the lifting of such restrictions, which cause and prolong the displacement of civilians and hamper Palestinians from accessing healthcare, education and other basic services. ■
