Middle East Crisis: Emergency Updates
LAST UPDATE: 7th MAY2026
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is alarmed by the dramatic escalation in conflict across the Middle East in recent weeks and months, following strikes by US and Israeli forces in Iran and Iran’s subsequent retaliatory actions across the region.
Following the announcement of a temporary ceasefire, a fragile sense of relief is overshadowed by uncertainty and caution among people in Lebanon and across the Middle East. This escalation has deepened fear and insecurity for millions of people, including in Lebanon, Iran, and Gulf countries. With casualties in the thousands and hundreds of thousands forced to flee, MSF calls for the protection of civilians, as well as hospitals, health facilities, and other essential infrastructure.
The most affected countries are Iran and Lebanon, where ongoing hostilities and airstrikes are driving displacement and increasing humanitarian and medical needs. In Lebanon, MSF has launched a nationwide emergency response, delivering large-scale distributions of shelter materials, water, and essential items to hundreds of thousands of displaced people, while adapting activities to maintain continuity of care and support health facilities receiving casualties.
What is MSF doing and how can I help?
The war has had a devastating impact on civilians in both countries. Thousands of people have been killed or injured across the region, and millions have been forced from their homes, often multiple times. In Lebanon alone, more than one million people have been displaced, while many households in Iran have also been affected by displacement, destruction, and disruption to essential services. Although ceasefires have brought some relief and allowed MSF to scale up activities, the situation remains extremely fragile.
MSF teams are fully mobilised in Lebanon, Iran and across the region. Since 28 February, MSF has shipped 28,142 tons of medical supplies to countries across the Middle East, including Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Yemen. Preparedness measures include contingency planning, close monitoring, pre-positioning of medical supplies, expanded warehouse capacity, staff readiness trainings, and deployment of mobile services. Supply routes have also been redirected through alternative channels, despite increased costs.
See below for our most up-to-date information on the unfolding situation and MSF's response across the region:
Lebanon: Mass Displacement as Bombardment Intensifies
Since Monday, 2 March, tens of thousands of people in Lebanon thousands have fled their homes following relentless Israeli airstrikes across multiple areas.
Our teams are witnessing large-scale displacement, severe traffic congestion, and families seeking safety with almost no belongings. Civilians - already exhausted by repeated cycles of violence - are once again paying the highest price.
Read latest response from our teams on the ground here.
Iran: Continuing Medical Assistance Amid Rising Tensions
Before 28 February, when the escalation began, MSF had been running three projects in Iran, providing essential healthcare to marginalised people – including 6,000 medical consultations per month, as well as midwifery care, infectious disease screening and treatment, and mental health support.
More than nine weeks after the war in Iran began, the impact of the war continues to be felt across the health system, supply chains, and access to basic services. Although the ceasefire has brought some relief, the situation remains fragile and uncertain.
While other actors have focused on trauma care, MSF teams have scaled up activities to address the “hidden needs” that continue during war. Our primary healthcare teams are providing sexual and reproductive healthcare, treatment for infectious diseases, chronic disease management, referrals to specialised care, and mental health support.At the height of the violence, intense bombing forced MSF to temporarily suspend activities at its other clinic in South Tehran. The clinic has since reopened, and MSF has received authorisation to operate it as an advanced medical post, able to receive wounded patients and stabilise those in critical condition if needed.
Gaza: Massive Scale-Up of Lifesaving Assistance Needed
We continue to call for a massive scale-up of lifesaving assistance and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza. We are committed to remaining to provide assistance in Gaza and the West Bank for as long as possible, working under our registration with the Palestinian Authority.
You can read more about our response in Gaza here.
