- Hanan Balkhy: Regional Director, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Cairo, Egypt.
For more than a decade, the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) has faced multiple protracted crises that have plunged nearly half of its 22 countries and territories into severe turmoil. The political conflicts, escalating hostilities and natural disasters have shattered communities, triggered disease outbreaks and placed immense strain on the health systems. In 2022 and 2023 alone, 5 of the world's 10 deadliest natural disasters occurred in the region, often as a result of extreme weather-related events.