{#Iran} #Conflict deepens #health #crisis across Middle East, #WHO says (March 11 '26)

 

More than ten days into the latest escalation of conflict in the Middle East, health systems across the Region are coming under strain as injuries and displacement rise, attacks on health care continue, and public health risks increase.

National health authorities in Iran report more than 1300 deaths and 9000 injuries, and in Lebanon report at least 570 deaths and more than 1400 injuries. In Israel, authorities report 15 deaths and 2142 injuries.

At the same time, the conflict is affecting the very services meant to save lives. 

In Iran, WHO has verified 18 attacks on health care since 28 February, resulting in 8 deaths among health workers. 

Over the same period in Lebanon, 25 attacks on health care have resulted in 16 deaths and 29 injuries. These attacks not only cost lives but deprive communities of care when they need it most. 

Health workers, patients and health facilities must always be protected under international humanitarian law.

Beyond the immediate impact, the conflict is creating wider public health risks. 

Current estimates indicate more than 100 000 people in Iran have relocated to other areas of the country due to insecurity, and up to 700 000 people have been internally displaced in Lebanon, with many in crowded collective shelters under deteriorating public health conditions, with limited access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene. These conditions increase the risk of respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases, and other communicable illnesses, especially for the most vulnerable populations, such as women and children.

Environmental hazards are also a raising concern. In Iran, petroleum fires and smoke from damaged infrastructure exposed nearby communities to toxic pollutants that potentially cause breathing problems, eye and skin irritation, and contaminated water and food sources.

Access to health services is becoming increasingly constrained across several countries. 

In Lebanon, 49 primary health-care centres and five hospitals have shut following evacuation orders issued by Israel’s military, reducing the availability of essential services as medical needs rise.

In the occupied Palestinian territory, increased movement restrictions and checkpoint closures are delaying ambulance and mobile clinics’ access across several governorates in the West Bank. 

In Gaza, medical evacuations remain suspended since 28 February, while hospitals continue to operate under strain amid ongoing shortages of medicines, medical supplies and fuel, which is being rationed to prioritize essential health services such as emergency and trauma care, maternal and neonatal services, and management of communicable diseases.

Temporary airspace restrictions have disrupted the movement of medical supplies from WHO’s global logistics hub in Dubai. 

More than 50 emergency supply requests, intended to benefit over 1.5 million people across 25 countries, are affected, resulting in significant backlogs. 

Current priority shipments include supplies planned for Al Arish, Egypt, to support the Gaza response, as well as Lebanon and Afghanistan. The first shipment, containing cholera response supplies for Mozambique, is expected to depart from the hub in the coming week.

The escalation comes at a time when humanitarian needs in the Eastern Mediterranean Region were already among the highest in the world. 

Across the Region, 115 million people require humanitarian assistance – almost half of all people in need globally – while humanitarian health emergency appeals remain 70% underfunded.

Without protection for health care, sustained humanitarian access and stronger financial and operational support for the humanitarian health response, the strain on vulnerable populations and already fragile health systems will continue to grow.

WHO calls on all parties to protect civilians and health care, ensure unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access, and pursue de-escalation of the conflict so communities can begin to recover and move towards peace.

Source: 

Link: https://www.who.int/news/item/11-03-2026-conflict-deepens-health-crisis-across-middle-east--who-says

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#Israel - High pathogenicity avian #influenza #H5N1 viruses (Inf. with) (#poultry) - Immediate notification

 

Reproductive ducks. 41 months old. Drop in lay and reduction of water consumption. Gastrointestinal symptoms. HaZafon Region.

Source: 

Link: https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/7168

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#Israel - #Influenza A #H5N1 viruses of high pathogenicity (Inf. with) (non-poultry including wild birds) (2017-) - Immediate notification

 

{By Charles J. Sharp - Own work, from Sharp Photography, sharpphotography.co.uk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66151818}

A wild Great Wild Pelican in Ha Zafon Region.

Source: WOAH, https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6936

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#Assessment of #malnutrition in preschool-aged #children by mid-upper arm circumference in the #Gaza Strip (January, 2024–August, 2025): a longitudinal, cross-sectional, surveillance study

 

Summary

Background

Since October, 2023, Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip have suffered war-induced displacement, food insecurity, malnutrition, and elevated risks of famine and mortality. In this study, we aimed to document the extent of, and patterns in, wasting malnutrition in children aged 6–59 months across the Gaza Strip between January, 2024, and August, 2025.

Methods

This longitudinal, cross-sectional, surveillance study was conducted across a total of 16 UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East health centres and 78 medical points established within school shelters and tent encampments across the five governorates of Gaza. Children aged 6–59 months were screened for wasting malnutrition by mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement. Children with a MUAC of less than 125 mm were enrolled into therapeutic feeding regimens. MUAC Z scores were derived from published WHO age-specific and sex-specific arm circumferential growth curves. Monthly prevalence of acute wasting (MUAC Z scores less than –2) and severe wasting (MUAC Z scores less than –3) were described by age, sex, type of screening facility, and governorate.

Findings

Between Jan 1, 2024, and Aug 15, 2025, 265 974 measurements were obtained from 219 783 uniquely identified children, with two-thirds of children screened in Khan Younis and Middle Governorates. The monthly prevalence of acute wasting ranged from 5% (34 of 722 children) to 7% (794 of 10 907) between January and June, 2024. After approximately 4 months of severe aid restrictions between September, 2024, and mid-January, 2025, the prevalence of wasting increased from 8·8% (1601 of 18 225 children) to 14·3% (1661 of 11 619), with the highest prevalence observed in Rafah (32·2%; 95 of 295) and among children aged 24–59 months (21·0%; 1366 of 6518). After a 6-week ceasefire, marked by a substantial increase in the number of aid trucks entering through territory borders, by March, 2025, the prevalence of wasting had declined to 5·5% (831 of 15 165). However, after an 11-week blockade from March to May, 2025, and continued severely restricted entry of food, water, medicines, fuel, and other essentials thereafter, by early August, 2025, 15·8% (1213 of 7668) of screened children were acutely wasted, including 3·7% (280 of 7668) severely wasted, equating to more than 54 600 children in need of therapeutic care.

Interpretation

After nearly 2 years of war and severe restrictions in humanitarian aid, tens of thousands of preschool-aged children in the Gaza Strip are suffering from preventable acute malnutrition and facing an increased risk of mortality.

Funding

UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

Source: The Lancet, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01820-3/abstract?rss=yes

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#Gaza: Top independent #rights #probe alleges #Israel committed #genocide

 

16 September 2025 

Senior independent rights investigators appointed by the Human Rights Council alleged on Tuesday that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide, a charge flatly rejected by Tel Aviv.

In a new report published against the backdrop of intensifying Israeli military operations in Gaza City, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, urged Israel and all countries to fulfil their obligations under international law “to end the genocide” and punish those responsible.

“The Commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza,” insisted Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission. “It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention.”

At a press conference in Geneva, the panel’s members - who are not UN staff but instead appointed by the Human Rights Council’s 47 Member States - explained that their investigations into the war in Gaza beginning with Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023 had led to the conclusion that Israeli authorities and security forces “committed four of the five genocidal acts defined by the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide”.

These acts are:

-- killing,

-- causing serious bodily or mental harm,

-- deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of the Palestinians, and

-- imposing measures intended to prevent births.

Ms. Pillay maintained that responsibility for the atrocity crimes “lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons”, amid “explicit statements” denigrating Palestinians by Israeli civilian and military authorities.

The Commission also analysed conduct of Israeli authorities and the Israeli security forces in Gaza, “including imposing starvation and inhumane conditions of life for Palestinians in Gaza…genocidal intent was the only reasonable inference that could be concluded from the nature of their operations”, the panel said.

Methodical examination

The Commission’s assertion follows its review of Israeli military operations in Gaza, “including killing and seriously harming unprecedented numbers of Palestinians” and the imposition of a “total siege, including blocking humanitarian aid leading to starvation”, it said.

According to the UN aid coordination wing, OCHA, nearly one million people remain in Gaza City, famine has been confirmed there, and residents face daily bombardment and “compromised access to means of survival after the Israeli military placed the entire city under a displacement order”.

For its latest report, the panel also examined what it called the “systematic destruction” of healthcare and education in Gaza and “systematic” acts of sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians. 

Justice call

In addition, the Commission of Inquiry reviewed the alleged “direct targeting” of children and Israel’s “disregarding [of] the orders of the International Court of Justice, which issued an order in March 2024 that Israel should take ‘all necessary and effective measures to ensure…the unhindered provision at scale by all concerned of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to Palestinians throughout Gaza’”.

“The international community cannot stay silent on the genocidal campaign launched by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” said Ms. Pillay.

“When clear signs and evidence of genocide emerge, the absence of action to stop it amounts to complicity,” she added.

“All States are under a legal obligation to use all means that are reasonably available to them to stop the genocide in Gaza.”

Qatari dimension

In a related development on Tuesday, the Human Rights Council shuffled its schedule to make way for an urgent debate on last week’s Israeli strike on Hamas’s political leadership in Qatar.

The strike targeted a neighbourhood of the Qatari capital, Doha, reportedly killing six people including five members of Hamas and prompting widespread condemnation including from the Security Council and Secretary-General.

In a statement, António Guterres spoke out against what he called a “flagrant violation” of Qatari sovereignty and territorial integrity.

And at a Security Council meeting called in response to the strike, the UN’s political affairs chief told ambassadors the attack in violation of Qatar’s sovereignty was a serious threat to regional peace and security. It also undermined international mediation efforts to end the war in Gaza and return the hostages, said Rosemary DiCarlo.

Source: United Nations, https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/09/1165856

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Public #Health #Situation #Analysis - occupied #Palestinian territory-September (#WHO, Sept. 10 '25)

 

Overview

Starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at the highest levels ever since the conflict began almost two years ago. 

Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid has cost many lives.

Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July. 

As of 5 September 2025, 361 Palestinians have died due to malnutrition, including 130 children. 

As of 15 August 2025, Famine (IPC Phase 5)—with reasonable evidence—is confirmed in Gaza Governorate. 

After 22 months of relentless conflict, over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death. 

Another 1.07 million people (54%) are in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), and 396 000 people (20%) are in Crisis (IPC Phase 3).

More broadly, since 7 October 2023, as reported by Ministry of Health (MoH), the number of casualties include 63 746 fatalities and 161 245 injuries.7 

As of 5 September 2025, there have been 2 339 reported fatalities among aid seekers near militarized distribution sites and along convoy routes since 27 May.

Ongoing attacks and resource shortages have severely weakened the health system – damaging or destroying 94% of hospitals, overwhelming remaining partially functional ones, and disrupting essential health service delivery. 

The Health Cluster reports that hospitals are overwhelmed by mass casualty incidents, with an average of eight incidents per day. 

Al-Shifa and Al-Ahli hospitals, in Gaza city, are operating at nearly 300% over capacity, with a constant influx of complex trauma injuries. 

Every hospital is overrun. If the Israeli-announced offensive on Gaza city goes ahead, the Gaza Strip could lose half of its hospital bed capacity. 

On 20 July, the WHO’s main warehouse in Deir Al-Balah was destroyed due to attacks, amid MoH reports that 52% of essential drugs and 68% of medical disposables are at zero stock.

In the West Bank, escalating settler violence, with the acquiescence, support, and in some cases participation, of Israeli security forces, has worsened the coercive environment in the occupied West Bank, resulting in several Palestinian casualties and the forcible displacement of Palestinian communities in the last month.

Source: World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/public-health-situation-analysis---occupied-palestinian-territory-September

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#Famine confirmed for first time in #Gaza (#WHO, August 22 '25)

 

More than half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine, marked by widespread starvation, destitution and preventable deaths, according to a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis released today. 

Famine conditions are projected to spread from Gaza Governorate to Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis Governorates in the coming weeks.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), UNICEF, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have collectively and consistently highlighted the extreme urgency for an immediate and full-scale humanitarian response given the escalating hunger-related deaths, rapidly worsening levels of acute malnutrition and plummeting levels of food consumption, with hundreds of thousands of people going days without anything to eat.

The agencies reinforced that famine must be stopped at all costs. An immediate ceasefire and end to the conflict is critical to allow unimpeded, large-scale humanitarian response that can save lives. 

The agencies are also gravely concerned about the threat of an intensified military offensive in Gaza City and any escalation in the conflict, as it would have further devastating consequences for civilians where famine conditions already exist. 

Many people – especially sick and malnourished children, older people and people with disabilities – may be unable to evacuate.

By the end of September, more than 640 000 people will face Catastrophic levels of food insecurity – classified as IPC Phase 5 – across the Gaza Strip. 

An additional 1.14 million people in the territory will be in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and a further 396 000 people in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) conditions. 

Conditions in North Gaza are estimated to be as severe – or worse – than in Gaza City. However, limited data prevented an IPC classification, highlighting the urgent need for access to assess and assist. Rafah was not analyzed given indications that it is largely depopulated.

Classifying famine means that the most extreme category is triggered when three critical thresholds – extreme food deprivation, acute malnutrition and starvation-related deaths – have been breached. The latest analysis now affirms on the basis of reasonable evidence that these criteria have been met.

Almost two years of conflict, repeated displacement, and severe restrictions on humanitarian access, compounded by repeated interruptions and impediments to access to food, water, medical aid, support to agriculture, livestock and fisheries and the collapse of health, sanitation, and market systems, have pushed people into starvation.

Access to food in Gaza remains severely constrained. In July, the number of households reporting very severe hunger doubled across the territory compared to May and more than tripled in Gaza City. More than one in three people (39 percent) indicated they were going days at a time without eating, and adults regularly skip meals to feed their children.

Malnutrition among children in Gaza is accelerating at a catastrophic pace. In July alone, more than 12 000 children were identified as acutely malnourished – the highest monthly figure ever recorded and a six-fold increase since the start of the year. Nearly one in four of these children were suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), the deadliest form with both short and long-term impacts.

Since the last IPC Analysis in May, the number of children expected to be at severe risk of death from malnutrition by the end of June 2026 has tripled from 14 100 to 43 400. Similarly, for pregnant and breastfeeding women, the number of estimated cases has tripled from 17 000 in May to 55 000 women expected to be suffering from perilous levels of malnutrition by mid-2026. The impact is visible: one in five babies are born prematurely or underweight.

The new assessment reports the most severe deterioration since the IPC began analyzing acute food insecurity and acute malnutrition in the Gaza Strip, and it marks the first time a famine has been officially confirmed in the Middle East region.

Since July, food and aid supplies entering Gaza increased slightly but remained vastly insufficient, inconsistent and inaccessible compared to the need.

Meanwhile, approximately 98 percent of cropland in the territory is damaged or inaccessible – decimating the agriculture sector and local food production – and nine of ten people have been serially displaced from homes. Cash is critically scarce, aid operations remain severely disrupted, with most UN trucks looted amid growing desperation. Food prices are extremely high and there are not enough fuel and water to cook and medicines and medical supplies.

Gaza’s health system has severely deteriorated, access to safe drinking water and sanitation services has been drastically reduced, while multi-drug resistant infections are surging and levels of morbidity – including diarrhoea, fever, acute respiratory and skin infections – are alarmingly high among children.

To enable lifesaving humanitarian operations, the U.N. agencies emphasized the importance of an immediate and sustained ceasefire to stop the killing, allow for the safe release of hostages and permit unimpeded access for a mass influx of assistance to reach people across Gaza. 

They stressed the urgent need for greater amounts of food aid, along with dramatically improved delivery, distribution and accessibility, as well as shelter, fuel, cooking gas and food production inputs. 

They emphasized that it is critical to support the rehabilitation of the health system, maintain and revive essential health services, including primary health care, and ensure sustained delivery of health supplies into and across Gaza. The restoration of commercial flows at scale, market systems, essential services, and local food production is also vital if the worst outcomes of the famine are to be avoided.

“People in Gaza have exhausted every possible means of survival. Hunger and malnutrition are claiming lives every day, and the destruction of cropland, livestock, greenhouses, fishery and food production systems has made the situation even more dire,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. “Our priority must now be safe and sustained access for large-scale food assistance. Access to food is not a privilege – it is a basic human right.”

“Famine warnings have been clear for months,” said Cindy McCain, WFP Executive Director. “What’s urgently needed now is a surge of aid, safer conditions, and proven distribution systems to reach those most in need – wherever they are. Full humanitarian access and a ceasefire now are critical to save lives.”

“Famine is now a grim reality for children in Gaza Governorate, and a looming threat in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “As we have repeatedly warned, the signs were unmistakable: children with wasted bodies, too weak to cry or eat; babies dying from hunger and preventable disease; parents arriving at clinics with nothing left to feed their children. There is no time to lose. Without an immediate ceasefire and full humanitarian access, famine will spread, and more children will die. Children on the brink of starvation need the special therapeutic feeding that UNICEF provides.”

“A ceasefire is an absolute and moral imperative now,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The world has waited too long, watching tragic and unnecessary deaths mount from this man-made famine. Widespread malnutrition means that even common and usually mild diseases like diarrhoea are becoming fatal, especially for children. The health system, run by hungry and exhausted health workers, cannot cope. Gaza must be urgently supplied with food and medicines to save lives and begin the process of reversing malnutrition. Hospitals must be protected so that they can continue treating patients. Aid blockages must end, and peace must be restored, so that healing can begin.”

 

Notes for editors

Access the IPC alert https://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ipcinfo/docs/IPC_Famine_Review_Committee_Report_Gaza_Aug2025.pdf.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is an innovative 21-partner initiative – made up of UN agencies and international NGOs – for improving food security and nutrition analysis and decision-making. By using the IPC classification and analytical approach, governments, UN Agencies, NGOs, civil society and other relevant actors, work together to determine the severity and magnitude of acute and chronic food insecurity, and acute malnutrition situations in a country, according to internationally-recognized scientific standards. Find out more https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/ipc-overview-and-classification-system/en/.

Source: World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news/item/22-08-2025-famine-confirmed-for-first-time-in-gaza

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Circulating vaccine-derived #poliovirus type 1 [#cVDPV1] - #Israel (#WHO D.O.N., August 20 '25)

 

Situation at a glance

On 4 August 2025, Israel notified WHO of a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) outbreak. 

Between February and July 2025, nine genetically linked virus isolates were found in environmental samples from seven sites, mainly in Jerusalem and the Central Region. 

No human cases of paralytic polio have been reported. 

Israel discontinued routine use of the bivalent oral polio vaccine in March 2025 but continues using inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) as part of the country’s routine immunization schedule. 

WHO and partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative are supporting national and subnational authorities. 

WHO assesses the risk of international spread of this cVDPV1 outbreak in Israel as low, due to strong overall immunity, surveillance, and response systems. 

However, the virus is circulating in under-vaccinated, vaccine-sceptic communities with ties to similar groups abroad, posing a potential risk for further spread.

Description of the situation

On 4 August 2025, WHO received an International Health Regulations notification from the IHR National Focal Point (NFP) for Israel reporting the declaration of a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) outbreak in the country. 

Between February and July 2025, nine genetically related VDPV1 isolates were detected in environmental samples collected from seven sampling sites, four of which are geographically non-overlapping in the Jerusalem district and Central Region. 

Laboratory analyses and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) indicate that these viruses are genetically linked to each other and to multiple Sabin-like viruses isolated from environmental samples since October 2024. 

As of 8 August 2025, cVDPV1 has been detected only in environmental samples, with no paralytic cases reported at this stage. 

However current evidence supports classification of this event as an outbreak of cVDPV1 with sustained community transmission.

Prior to this outbreak a Sabin-like type 1 virus (SL1), related to SL1 viruses detected in environmental surveillance, was the cause of an acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) case in an unvaccinated 17-year-old male from Jerusalem that was reported on 23 December 2024 and classified as vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP). 

Israel discontinued routine use of the bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) in March 2025 but continues to administer four doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) as part of the routine immunization schedule up to 12 months of age. 

The WHO/UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage for three doses of IPV in 2024 was 98%. 

However, vaccination coverage in Jerusalem is notably lower and below WHO’s recommended coverage threshold, which is necessary to maintain sufficient population immunity and prevent poliovirus transmission.

Epidemiology

Polio is a highly infectious disease that largely affects children under five years of age, causing permanent paralysis (approximately 1 in 200 infections) or death (2-10% of those paralyzed).

The virus is transmitted from person-to-person, mainly through the fecal-oral route or, less frequently, by contaminated water or food. The virus multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis. The incubation period is usually 7-10 days but can range from 4-35 days. Up to 90% of those infected are either asymptomatic or experience mild symptoms and the disease usually goes unrecognized.

Vaccine-derived poliovirus is a well-documented strain of poliovirus mutated from the strain originally contained in OPV. OPV contains a live, weakened form of poliovirus that replicates in the intestine for a limited period, thereby developing immunity by building up antibodies. On rare occasions, when replicating in the gastrointestinal tract, OPV strains can genetically change and may spread in communities that are not fully vaccinated against polio, especially in areas where there is poor hygiene, poor sanitation, or overcrowding. The lower the population's immunity, the longer vaccine-derived poliovirus survives and the more genetic changes it undergoes.

In very rare instances, the vaccine-derived virus can genetically change into a form that can cause paralysis as does the wild poliovirus – this is what is known as a vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV). The detection of VDPV in at least two different sources and at least two months apart, that are genetically linked, showing evidence of transmission in the community, is classified as cVDPV. Similar to wild poliovirus, cVDPVs can be of three types (1,2 or 3), the current outbreak in Israel is due to cVDPV1.

Public health response

Enhanced AFP and environmental surveillance to detect further transmission are ongoing. 

Under the Ministry of Health, a multi-disciplinary emergency response team (ERT) was established to support the control of outbreaks of cVDPV3 in 2022 followed by cVDPV2 in 2023 and this ERT continues to operate for this current cVDPV1 outbreak.

Investigations are ongoing to assess the scale of local circulation and the necessary responses where relevant.

Partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, including the WHO European Regional Office, are supporting national and subnational authorities.

Targeted immunization campaigns with IPV have been ongoing since 2022, focusing on under-immunized communities. These campaigns are currently being intensified alongside measles vaccination efforts to maximize coverage. To enhance vaccine acceptance, the campaigns are supported by tailored, community-specific communication strategies.

Community- sensitive communication strategies are being developed with tailored messages to reduce the vaccine hesitancy and increase uptake.

WHO risk assessment

The international spread of poliovirus was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the Director-General of the WHO on 5 May 2014, and most recently, the PHEIC declaration was extended on 28 July 2025. The outbreaks of cVDPV in Israel are covered by the original PHEIC declaration.

There is a high level of vaccination coverage and a robust surveillance system in Israel, however, the risk of further spread in the country is likely to be moderate as immunization gaps persist in known high-risk areas/population groups. 

Local health authorities are conducting field, epidemiological and virological investigations to better understand the situation and the likely risk of spread. Israel discontinued the use of bOPV in March 2025. The routine immunization schedule includes four doses of IPV-containing vaccine until the age of 12 months and a fifth dose during the second year of primary school. 

In 2024, a total of 11 cVDPV1 cases were reported, ten in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and one in Mozambique. Despite no cVDPV1 case detection for the past 10 months, continued low routine immunization and IPV coverage in several countries and associated immunity gap, indicate continued risk of cVDPV1 emergence.

WHO currently assesses the risk of international spread associated with this cVDPV1 detection as low due to high overall population immunity, robust poliovirus surveillance, and response capacity. 

However, the potential for spread exists, taking into account the fact that circulation is likely occurring in the vaccine-sceptic under vaccinated communities with known close ties to similar communities in other countries. An example of this being the 2022-2023 multi-country circulation of cVDPV2 in the UK, USA, Canada and Israel. 

WHO advice

The polio vaccine, given multiple times, can protect a child for life. WHO advises that every country should seek to achieve and maintain high levels of coverage with polio vaccine in support of the global commitment to eradicate polio. WHO recommends that all those who travel to or live in polio-affected areas should be fully vaccinated against polio in compliance with the national schedule. Population pockets with low immunity against polio should be prioritised for targeted interventions to boost immunity and reduce the risk of sustained transmission and spread.

It is important that all countries, in particular those with frequent travel and contact with polio-affected countries and areas, strengthen surveillance for AFP cases in order to rapidly detect any new virus importation and to facilitate a rapid response. Countries, territories, and areas should also maintain uniformly high routine immunization coverage at the district level to minimize the consequences of any new virus introduction.

As per the advice of the Emergency Committee convened under the International Health Regulations (2005), efforts to limit the international spread of poliovirus remain a PHEIC. 

Countries affected by poliovirus transmission are subject to Temporary Recommendations. 

To comply with the Temporary Recommendations issued under the PHEIC, any country infected by poliovirus should: 

-- declare the outbreak as a national public health emergency, 

-- consider vaccination of all international travellers, 

-- ensure such travellers are provided with an international certificate of vaccination, 

-- restrict at the point of departure the international travel of any resident lacking documentation of appropriate polio vaccination, 

-- intensify cross-border efforts to substantially increase vaccination coverage of travellers, and 

-- intensify efforts to increase routine immunization coverage. 

Any country subject to the temporary recommendation maintains the measures described above until the following criteria have been met:

-- At least six months have passed without new infections; and

-- There is documentation of the full application of high-quality eradication activities in all infected and high-risk areas. 

-- In the absence of such documentation, the measures should be maintained until the state meets the above assessment criteria for being no longer infected.

The latest epidemiological information on cVDPVs is updated on a weekly basis.  

WHO does not recommend any travel and/or trade restrictions to Israel based on the current information available for this event.

(...)

Source: World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON578

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#WHO #operations compromised following #attacks on warehouse and #facility sheltering #staff and #families in Deir al Balah, #Gaza

 

WHO condemns in the strongest terms the attacks on a building housing WHO staff in Deir al Balah in Gaza, the mistreatment of those sheltering there, and the destruction of its main warehouse.

Following intensified hostilities in Deir al Balah after the latest evacuation order issued by Israeli military, the WHO staff residence was attacked three times today. 

Staff and their families, including children, were exposed to grave danger and traumatized after airstrikes caused a fire and significant damage. 

Israeli military entered the premises, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot toward Al-Mawasi amid active conflict. 

Male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot, and screened at gunpoint. 

Two WHO staff and two family members were detained. 

Three were later released, while one staff member remains in detention. 

Thirty-two people, including women and children, were collected and evacuated to the WHO office in a high-risk mission, once access became possible. 

The office itself is close to the evacuation zone and active conflict.

WHO demands continuous protection of its staff and the immediate release of the remaining detained staff member.

The latest evacuation order has affected several WHO premises. As the United Nations’s (UN) lead health agency, WHO’s operational presence in Gaza is now compromised, crippling efforts to sustain a collapsing health system and pushing survival further out of reach for more than two million people. 

Most of WHO’s staff housing is now inaccessible. Last night, due to intensified hostilities, 43 staff and their families were already relocated from several staff residences to the WHO office, under darkness and at significant risk.

WHO’s main warehouse located in Deir al Balah is within the evacuation zone, and was damaged yesterday after an attack caused explosions and fire inside - part of a pattern of systematic destruction of health facilities. It was later looted by desperate crowds.

With the main warehouse nonfunctional and the majority of medical supplies in Gaza depleted, WHO is severely constrained in adequately supporting hospitals, emergency medical teams and health partners, already critically short on medicines, fuel, and equipment. WHO urgently calls on Member States to help ensure a sustained and regular flow of medical supplies into Gaza.

The geographical coordinates of all WHO premises, including offices, warehouses, and staff housing, are shared with the relevant parties. These facilities are the backbone of WHO’s operations in Gaza and must always be protected, regardless of evacuation or displacement orders. Any threat to these premises is a threat to the entire humanitarian health response in Gaza.  

In line with the UN’s decision, WHO will remain in Deir al Balah, deliver and expand its operations.

With 88% of Gaza now under evacuation orders or within Israeli-militarized zones, there is no safe place to go.

WHO is appalled by the dangerous conditions under which humanitarians and health workers are forced to operate. As the security situation and access continue to deteriorate, red lines are repeatedly crossed, and humanitarian operations pushed into an ever-shrinking space to respond. 

WHO calls for the immediate release of the WHO staff member detained today, and the protection of all our staff and its premises. We reiterate our call for the active protection of civilians, health care and its premises and for rapid and unimpeded flow of aid, including food, fuel and health supplies, at scale into and across Gaza. WHO also calls for the unconditional release of hostages. 

Life in Gaza is being relentlessly squeezed, and the chance to prevent loss of lives and reverse immense damage to the health system slips further out of reach each day. A ceasefire is not just necessary, it is overdue. 

Source: World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news/item/21-07-2025-who-operations-compromised-following-attacks-on-warehouse-and-facility-sheltering-staff-and-families-in-deir-al-balah

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Seventh #Update on #Developments in #Iran (#War) (#IAEA, June 27 '25)

 

Radiation levels in the Gulf region remain normal following the 12-day conflict that severely damaged several nuclear facilities in Iran, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

Citing regional data reported regularly to the IAEA through the International Radiation Monitoring System (IRMIS), Director General Grossi noted that this 48-nation network would have detected an important radioactive release from any damaged nuclear power reactor.

“From a nuclear safety perspective, Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant and the Tehran Research Reactor represented our main concern as any strike affecting those facilities – including their off-site power lines – could have caused a radiological accident with potential consequences in Iran as well as beyond its borders in the case of the Bushehr plant. It did not happen, and the worst nuclear safety scenario was thereby avoided,” Director General Grossi said.

Stressing again that nuclear facilities should never be attacked, he reiterated the IAEA’s current assessment – based on information received from Iran’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority – that this month’s Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites would have caused localized radioactive releases inside the impacted facilities and localized toxic effects, but there has been no report of increased off-site radiation levels.

The Director General also emphasised the need for IAEA inspectors to continue their verification activities in Iran, as required under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) with the Agency.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency, https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-on-developments-in-iran-7

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Sixth #Update on #Developments in #Iran (#War) (#IAEA, June 24 '25)

 

Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has welcomed today’s announcements regarding the situation in Iran and stressed the need for a resumption of the IAEA’s indispensable safeguards verification work in the country following a 12-day military conflict that severely damaged several of its nuclear sites.

In a letter to Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Abbas Araghchi, Director General Grossi also proposed that they meet soon.

“Resuming cooperation with the IAEA is key to a successful diplomatic agreement to finally resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities. I’ve written to Foreign Minister Araghchi stressing the importance of us working together and proposing to meet soon,” he said.

IAEA inspectors have remained in Iran throughout the conflict and are ready to start working as soon as possible, going back to the country’s nuclear sites and verifying the inventories of nuclear material – including more than 400 kg of uranium enriched to 60% - which they last verified a few days before the Israeli air strikes began on 13 June.

Even though the conflict interrupted safeguards inspections in the country, the IAEA has been closely monitoring the impact of the military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites at Arak, Esfahan, Fordow and Natanz as well as the possible consequences for human health and the environment, based on relevant information received from Iran’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority.

“As I have repeatedly stated – before and during the conflict – nuclear facilities should never be attacked due to the very real risk of a serious radiological accident,” Director General Grossi said.

“During these attacks, we have seen extensive damage at several nuclear sites in Iran, including its uranium conversion and enrichment facilities. Our assessment is that there has been some localized radioactive as well as chemical release inside the affected facilities that contained nuclear material – mainly uranium enriched to varying degrees – but there has been no report of increased off-site radiation levels,” he said.  

Still, the IAEA is aware of concerns in the region regarding any radiological consequences as a result of the strikes on nuclear facilities.

“Based on the data available to us, the IAEA can provide assurances that there has been no radiological impact to the population and the environment in neighbouring countries. Crucially in terms of nuclear safety, Iran’s research and power reactors were not targeted,” Director General Grossi said.

In addition to the detailed assessment that Director General Grossi provided to the IAEA Board of Governors on Monday, the IAEA has identified additional impact points at nuclear sites at Fordow and Natanz as a result of strikes carried out before today’s announcements on the situation in Iran.

Regarding the additional strikes to Fordow that were reported early on Monday – after the U.S. bombing of the facility early on Sunday – the IAEA assesses that access roads close to the underground facility and one of its entrances were hit.

At Natanz, the IAEA has identified two impact holes from the U.S. strikes above the underground halls that had been used for enrichment as well as for storage. Based on its knowledge of what these halls contained, the IAEA assesses that this strike may have caused localized contamination and chemical hazards.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency, https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-on-developments-in-iran-6

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Fifth #Update on #Developments in #Iran {#War} (#IAEA, June 22 '25)

 

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) can confirm that the Iranian nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan have been hit, following U.S. aerial attacks overnight, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

Based on an analysis of the information available to it, the IAEA assessed that there has been extensive additional damage at the sprawling Esfahan site, which had already been struck several times by Israel since it began targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities on 13 June, Director General Grossi said.

The IAEA had previously reported that several buildings at the Esfahan complex were damaged, some of which may have contained nuclear material.

“The latest attacks early this morning damaged other buildings in Esfahan. In addition, we have established that entrances to underground tunnels at the site were impacted,” Director General Grossi said.

The extent of damage to the Fordow uranium enrichment facility – built deep inside a mountain in central Iran – was not immediately possible to assess in view of its underground location and the penetrating nature of the bombs used.

“It is clear that Fordow was also directly impacted, but the degree of damage inside the uranium enrichment halls can’t be determined with certainty,” Director General Grossi said.

Iran’s other enrichment site, Natanz, which has previously been extensively damaged, was again attacked during the strikes last night with ground-penetrating munitions.

The Director General said the IAEA has been informed by the Iranian regulatory authorities that there has been no increase in off-site radiation levels after the latest attacks on the three Iranian nuclear sites.

Director General Grossi stressed the paramount importance of the countries involved urgently embarking on a diplomatic path aimed at ending the hostilities.

This would also enable the IAEA to resume its crucial verification activities in Iran, including of its stockpile of more than 400 kg of highly enriched uranium, which Agency inspectors last verified a few days before the military conflict began.

“We need to try to go back to the negotiating table as soon as possible. We have to allow the IAEA inspectors to return. The IAEA is ready to play its indispensable role in this process. We have been talking to Iran, we have been talking to the United States. We have to work for peace,” Director General Grossi said.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency, https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-on-developments-in-iran-5

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Fourth #Update on #Developments in #Iran [War] (#IAEA, June 22 '25)

 

Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said he will call an emergency meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors on Monday in light of the “urgent situation” in Iran following the latest attacks on the country’s nuclear facilities.

“In view of the increasingly serious situation in terms of nuclear safety and security, the Board of Governors will meet in an extraordinary session tomorrow, which I will address,” Director General Grossi said.

The Director General said the IAEA has been informed by the Iranian regulatory authorities that there has been no increase in off-site radiation levels after the recent attacks on three Iranian nuclear facilities, including the Fordow uranium enrichment site.

“As of this time, we don’t expect that there will be any health consequences for people or the environment outside the targeted sites,” he said. “We will continue to monitor and assess the situation in Iran and provide further updates as additional information becomes available.”

According to the most recent information verified by the IAEA before the attacks on Iran began on 13 June, the three sites targeted by the United States – also including Esfahan and Natanz – contained nuclear material in the form of uranium enriched to different levels, which may cause radioactive and chemical contamination within the facilities that were hit.

As he did in his statement to the United Nations Security Council on Friday, Director General Grossi reiterated his call for military restraint and “indispensable work towards” a diplomatic solution.

“I have repeatedly stated that nuclear facilities should never be attacked,” he said.

There is a need for a cessation of hostilities so that the IAEA can resume its vital inspection work in the country, including the necessary verification of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, he added.

Director General Grossi also stressed the importance of a continued and timely exchange of information with Iran regarding issues related to nuclear safety, security and safeguards.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency, https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-on-developments-in-iran-4

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Third #Update on #Developments in #Iran {War} (June 22 '25)

A large nuclear complex in Esfahan has been targeted for a second time during Israel’s attacks on Iran over the past nine days, with several more buildings struck, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

The site in central Iran was first hit on 13 June when four buildings were damaged: the central chemical laboratory, a uranium conversion facility, a reactor fuel manufacturing plant, and an enriched uranium metal processing facility under construction. No increase of off-site radiation levels was reported.

Based on information available to the IAEA today, six other buildings at the same site have now also been attacked: a natural and depleted uranium metal production facility which had not yet begun operations, a fuel rod production facility, a building with low-enriched uranium pellet production as well as a laboratory and nuclear material storage, another laboratory building, a workshop handling contaminated equipment and an office building with no nuclear material.

The same Esfahan complex includes a centrifuge manufacturing workshop that the IAEA earlier today reported had also been hit by Israel.

The facilities targeted today either contained no nuclear material or small quantities of natural or low enriched uranium, meaning any radioactive contamination is limited to the buildings that were damaged or destroyed.

“This nuclear complex in Esfahan – one of the key sites of the Iranian nuclear programme – has repeatedly been attacked and extensively damaged. Based on our analysis of the nuclear material present, we don’t see any risk of off-site contamination. Nevertheless, as I have repeatedly stated, nuclear facilities should never be attacked,” Director General Grossi said.   

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency,  https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-on-developments-in-iran-3

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Second #Update on #Developments in #Iran {War} (#IAEA, June 21 '25)

 

A centrifuge manufacturing workshop has been hit in Esfahan, the third such facility that has been targeted in Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear-related sites over the past week, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today, citing information available to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The workshop – which made the machines used to enrich uranium – was previously under IAEA monitoring and verification as part of the Joint  Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), including with installed Agency cameras.

“We know this facility well. There was no nuclear material at this site and therefore the attack on it will have no radiological consequences,” Director General Grossi said.

It came a few days after the IAEA on 18 June reported that the Tehran Research Center, where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested, had been hit, as had a workshop in the city of Karaj where different centrifuge components were manufactured. There was no radiological impact, internally or externally.

The IAEA has closely been monitoring the situation at Iran’s nuclear sites since Israel began its attacks early on 13 June, providing regular updates on military strikes on facilities in Arak, Esfahan, Karaj, Natanz and Tehran.

Director General Grossi told the United Nations Security Council on Friday that “attacks on nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic of Iran have caused a sharp degradation in nuclear safety and security” in the country, adding: “Though they have not so far led to a radiological release affecting the public, there is a danger this could occur.”

 Source: IAEA, https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-on-developments-in-iran-2

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#IAEA #DG Grossi’s #Statement to #UNSC on #Situation in #Iran (June 20 '25)

 

Attacks on nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic of Iran have caused a sharp degradation in nuclear safety and security in Iran. Though they have not so far led to a radiological release affecting the public, there is a danger this could occur.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has been monitoring closely the situation at Iran’s nuclear sites since Israel began its attacks a week ago. As part of its mission, the IAEA is the global nerve centre for information on nuclear and radiological safety, and we can respond to any nuclear or radiological emergency.

Based on information available to the IAEA, the following is the current situation at Iran’s nuclear sites. Which I offer as a follow up to my most recent report to this Security Council.

The Natanz enrichment site contains two facilities. The first is the main Fuel Enrichment Plant. Initial attacks on the 13th of June targeted and destroyed electricity infrastructure at the facility, including an electrical sub-station, the main electric power supply building, and emergency power supply and back-up generators. On the same day, the main cascade hall appears to have been attacked using ground-penetrating munitions.

The second facility at Natanz is the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant. It consists of aboveground and underground cascade halls. On the 13th of June the above-ground part was functionally destroyed and the strikes on the underground cascade halls were seriously damaging.

The level of radioactivity outside the Natanz site has remained unchanged and at normal levels, indicating no external radiological impact on the population or the environment.

However, within the Natanz facility there is both radiological and chemical contamination. It is possible that Uranium isotopes contained in Uranium Hexafluoride, Uranyl Fluoride and Hydrogen Fluoride are dispersed inside the facility. The radiation, primarily consisting of alpha particles, poses a significant danger if inhaled or ingested. This risk can be effectively managed with appropriate protective measures, such as using respiratory devices. The main concern inside the facility is chemical toxicity.

Fordow is Iran’s main enrichment location for enriching uranium to 60%. The Agency is not aware of any damage at Fordow at this time.

At the Esfahan nuclear site, four buildings were damaged in last Friday’s attack: the central chemical laboratory, a uranium conversion plant, the Tehran reactor-fuel manufacturing plant, and the enriched uranium metal processing facility, which was under construction.

No increase of off-site radiation levels was reported. As in Natanz, the main concern is chemical toxicity.  

The Khondab Heavy Water Research Reactor under construction in Arak, was hit on the 19th of June. As the reactor was not operational and did not contain any nuclear material, no radiological consequence is expected. The nearby Heavy Water Production Plant is also assessed to have been hit, and similarly no radiological consequence is expected.

As stated in the IAEA’s update of the 18th of June, at the Tehran Research Center, one building, where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested, was hit. At the Karaj workshop, two buildings, where different centrifuge components were manufactured, were destroyed. There was no radiological impact, internally or externally.

Let me now refer to the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. This is the nuclear site in Iran where the consequences of an attack could be most serious. It is an operating nuclear power plant and as such it hosts thousands of kilograms of nuclear material. Countries of the region have reached out directly to me over the past few hours to express their concerns, and I want to make it absolutely and completely clear: In case of an attack on the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant a direct hit could result in a very high release of radioactivity to the environment.

Similarly, a hit that disabled the only two lines supplying electrical power to the plant could cause its reactor’s core to melt, which could result in a high release of radioactivity to the environment. In their worst-case, both scenarios would necessitate protective actions, such as evacuations and sheltering of the population or the need to take stable iodine, with the reach extending to distances from a few to several hundred kilometres. Radiation monitoring would need to cover distances of several hundred kilometres and food restrictions may need to be implemented.

Any action against the Tehran Nuclear Research Reactor could also have severe consequences, potentially for large areas of the city of Tehran and its inhabitants. In such a case, protective actions would need to be taken.

I will continue to provide public updates about the developments at all these sites and their possible health and environmental consequences.

The Agency is, as madame Undersecretary kindly reminded, and will remain present in Iran and inspections there will resume, as required by Iran’s safeguards obligations under its NPT Safeguards Agreement, as soon as safety and security conditions allow.

In this context, let me restate that the safety of our inspectors is of utmost importance. The host country has a responsibility in this regard, and we expect every effort to be made to ensure that their security and their communication lines with the IAEA headquarters will be maintained.

As stated in my most recent report to the Agency’s Board of Governors and based on inspections conducted at the relevant facilities since then, Iran’s uranium stockpiles remain under safeguards in accordance with Iran’s comprehensive safeguards agreement. You may recall that more than 400kg of this stockpile is uranium enriched up to 60% U-235. It is essential that the Agency resumes inspections as soon as possible to provide credible assurances that none of it has been diverted.

Importantly, any special measures by Iran to protect its nuclear materials and equipment must be done in accordance with Iran’s safeguards obligations and the Agency.  

Therefore, it is of paramount importance that the Agency’s inspectors are allowed to verify that all relevant materials, especially those enriched to 60%, are accounted for. Beyond the potential radiological risks, attacks on such materials would make this effort of course more difficult.

Madame President,

The IAEA has consistently underlined, as stated in its General Conference resolution, that armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place, and could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked.

I therefore again call on maximum restraint. Military escalation threatens lives and delays indispensable work towards a diplomatic solution for the long-term assurance that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.

Madame President,

The presence, support, analysis and inspections of technical experts are crucial to mitigating risks to nuclear safety and security – that is true during peacetime and even more so during military conflict.

For the second time in three years, we are witnessing a dramatic conflict between two UN and IAEA Member States in which nuclear installations are coming under fire and nuclear safety is being compromised. The IAEA, just as has been the case with the military conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, will not stand idle during this conflict.

As I stated in this chamber just a few days ago, I am ready to travel immediately and to engage with all relevant parties to help ensure the protection of nuclear facilities and the continued peaceful use of nuclear technology in accordance with the Agency mandate, including by deploying Agency nuclear safety and security experts, in addition to our safeguards inspectors in Iran, wherever necessary.

For the IAEA to act, a constructive, professional dialogue is needed. I urge the Members of this Council to support us in making it happen sooner rather than later.

The IAEA must receive timely and regular technical information about affected nuclear facilities and their respective sites. I urge in this regard the Iranian regulatory authorities to continue a constructive dialogue with the IAEA Incident and Emergency Centre, which has been operating 24/7 since the beginning of this conflict.

Nuclear facilities and material must not be shrouded by the fog of war.

Yesterday there was an incorrect statement to the media by an Israeli military official that Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant had been attacked. Though the mistake was quickly identified and the statement retracted, the situation underscored the vital need for clear and accurate communication, and the Agency’s unique role in providing it in a technically accurate and politically impartial way is obvious.

Let me conclude by assuring the international community of the IAEA’s continued support at this very grave time.

A diplomatic solution is within reach if the necessary political will is there. Elements for an agreement have been discussed. The IAEA can guarantee, through a watertight inspections system, that nuclear weapons will not be developed in Iran.  They can form the basis of a long-standing agreement that brings peace and avoids a nuclear crisis in the Middle East. This opportunity should not be missed. The alternative would be a protracted conflict and a looming threat of nuclear proliferation that, while emanating from the Middle East, would effectively erode the NPT and the non-proliferation regime as a whole.

Source: IAEA, https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/statements/iaea-director-general-grossis-statement-to-unsc-on-situation-in-iran

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#IAEA DG Grossi’s #Statement to #UNSC on #Situation in #Iran (June 14 '25)

Early this morning, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was informed of the military operation launched by Israel which includes attacks on nuclear facilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

As I reported this morning to the IAEA Board of Governors, we have been in permanent contact with the Iran Nuclear Regulatory Authority, to ascertain the status of relevant nuclear facilities and to assess any wider impacts on nuclear safety and security.

Iran has confirmed that at present, only the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant site has been attacked in today’s strikes. This facility contains the Fuel Enrichment Plant and the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant.

At Natanz, the above-ground part of the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant, where Iran was producing uranium enriched up to 60% U-235, has been destroyed.

Electricity infrastructure at the facility (electrical sub-station, main electric power supply building, emergency power supply and back-up generators) has been destroyed.

There is no indication of a physical attack on the underground cascade hall containing part of the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant and the main Fuel Enrichment Plant. However, the loss of power to the cascade hall may have damaged the centrifuges there.

The level of radioactivity outside the Natanz site has remained unchanged and at normal levels indicating no external radiological impact to the population or the environment from this event.

However, due to the impacts, there is radiological and chemical contamination inside the facilities in Natanz. The type of radiation present inside the facility, primarily alpha particles, is manageable with appropriate radiation protection measures.

At present, the Iranian authorities are informing us of attacks on the other facilities, the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant; and Esfahan site, where a fuel plate fabrication plant, a fuel manufacturing plant, a uranium conversion facility and an enriched UO2 powder plant are located. However I have to inform that at this moment we do not have enough information beyond indicating that military activity has been taking place around these facilities as well which initially had not been part of military operation.

All these developments are deeply concerning. I have repeatedly stated that nuclear facilities must never be attacked, regardless of the context or circumstances, as it could harm both people and the environment.  Such attacks have serious implications for nuclear safety, security and safeguards, as well as regional and international peace and security.

In this regard, the IAEA recalls the numerous General Conference resolutions on the topic of military attacks against nuclear facilities, in particular, GC(XXIX)/RES/444 and GC(XXXIV)/RES/533, which provide, inter alia, that “any armed attack on and threat against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and the Statute of the Agency”. 

Furthermore, the IAEA has consistently underlined that “armed attacks on nuclear facilities could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked”, as was stated in GC(XXXIV)/RES/533.

As Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and consistent with the objectives of the IAEA under the IAEA Statute, I call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation. I reiterate that any military action that jeopardizes the safety and security of nuclear facilities risks grave consequences for the people of Iran, the region, and beyond.

Madame Under Secretary General evoked that yesterday, the Board of Governors of the IAEA adopted an important resolution on Iran’s safeguards obligations. In addition to this, the Board resolution stressed its support for a diplomatic solution to the problems posed by the Iranian nuclear programme.

The IAEA continues to monitor the situation closely.  Our Incident and Emergency Center (IEC) has maintained continuous contact with Iranian authorities from the onset of the attack, regularly confirming the status of the facilities and will continue to do so in the coming days. Additionally, we have established a task force comprising several senior staff members to monitor the situation closely over the next few days, and they will be available 24/7at the disposal of the UNSC.

The IAEA stands ready to provide technical assistance, and remains committed to its nuclear safety, security and safeguards mandate in all circumstances. I stand ready to engage with all relevant parties to help ensure the protection of nuclear facilities and the continued peaceful use of nuclear technology in accordance with the Agency mandate, including, deploying Agency nuclear security and safety experts (in addition to our safeguards inspectors in Iran) wherever necessary to ensure that nuclear installations are fully protected and continue to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes.

As I informed today the IAEA Board of Governors, I have indicated to the respective authorities my readiness to travel at the earliest to assess the situation and ensure safety, security and non-proliferation in Iran.

I have also been in contact with our inspectors in Iran and Israel. The safety of our staff is of paramount importance. All necessary actions are being taken to ensure they are not harmed.

Despite the current military actions and heightened tensions, it is clear that the only sustainable path forward—for Iran, for Israel, the entire region, and the international community—is one grounded in dialogue and diplomacy to ensure peace, stability, and cooperation. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency, as the International technical institution entrusted with overseeing the peaceful use of nuclear energy, remains a unique and vital forum for dialogue, especially now. 

In accordance with its Statute and longstanding mandate, the IAEA provides the framework and natural platform where facts prevail over rhetoric and where engagement can replace escalation. 

I reaffirm the Agency’s readiness to facilitate technical discussions and support efforts that promote transparency, safety, security and the peaceful resolution of nuclear-related issues in Iran.

Source: IAEA, https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/statements/director-general-grossis-statement-to-unsc-on-situation-in-iran

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