Hospitals in Lebanon face the imminent risk of running out of critical medical supplies as ongoing conflict and mass casualties strain resources, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday. The shortage primarily affects trauma kits that include essential items such as bandages, antibiotics, and anesthetics needed to treat individuals with war-related injuries.

Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar, the WHO representative in Lebanon, explained that the surge in casualties caused by recent Israeli airstrikes has depleted roughly three weeks’ worth of trauma supplies in just one day. The latest attacks, which killed more than 250 people and injured over 1,000 on Wednesday, have driven the rapid exhaustion of stocks. Israel continued bombing targets in Lebanon on Monday, intensifying the crisis. “If we have another mass casualty incident like what happened yesterday, it will be a disaster,” Abubakar said. “Probably we will lose more lives just because we don’t have enough supplies.”

The ongoing conflict has also disrupted medical supply chains for chronic disease treatments such as insulin for diabetes patients, which could run out within weeks. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and increased delivery costs—now three times higher than before—have further complicated resupply efforts. In addition, the WHO is dealing with limited funding, which hampers its ability to replenish stocks swiftly.

To mitigate the immediate impact, the WHO is collaborating with the Lebanese Ministry of Health to redistribute existing medical supplies among hospitals to prevent complete depletion. Despite these efforts, health services across the country are under extreme pressure as they attempt to manage the rising number of injured civilians and patients with ongoing medical needs.

The situation underscores the severe challenges faced by Lebanon’s healthcare infrastructure amid escalating violence in the region and highlights the urgent need for sustained support to maintain essential medical services.