By R Anil Kumar
Bengaluru, July 30, 2026. The humanitarian toll is mounting as fighting continues in the Middle East beyond strikes and counterstrikes between the US and Iran, the UN aid coordination office OCHA warned on July 30, with civilians increasingly at risk and essential infrastructure disrupted in several countries across the region.
“The humanitarian consequences of the Middle East escalation are worsening by the day,” OCHA said in its latest update.
Since July 29, civilian casualties have been recorded in Iran and Kuwait, while damage or destruction to critical infrastructure has been highlighted in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Civilians at growing risk
In Iran, a new wave of strikes was reported on Thursday in the provinces of Fars, Hormozgan, Bushehr and Khuzestan, including the country’s main oil-producing region.
Local sources reported that a strike in Qeshm, Hormozgan province, hit a residential building, killing three civilians, including a two-year-old. Two other children were reportedly injured.
Iranian health authorities said that as of 27 July, at least 60 people have been killed, and 670 injured, since hostilities escalated a month ago.
UN agencies and humanitarian partners already operating in Iran continue to support the response to the growing humanitarian needs.
Critical aid lifelines under pressure
The disruption is also affecting countries that play a key role in humanitarian operations in the region. Jordan and Egypt remain vital lifelines for aid deliveries and medical evacuations in this regard.
As fighting intensifies, OCHA said it will continue to monitor the humanitarian impact. The agency called on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, which includes protecting both civilians and vital infrastructure from harm.
Five months have passed since the current crisis erupted following the US-Israeli bombing of Iran, and retaliatory strikes by Tehran against Gulf States and Jordan, with impacts felt throughout the region and beyond.
An agreement signed in June establishing a ceasefire framework collapsed weeks later over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping corridor for oil, liquified natural gas and fertilisers.
The humanitarian fallout continues to deepen and is exacerbated by the number of deaths, injuries and damage to civilian infrastructure, and the severe impacts on the global economy are increasing.
While UN efforts to support affected civilians and de-escalate the conflict are ongoing, the Secretary-General has stressed the need to take immediate action to mitigate the consequences.
Wide-ranging impacts
The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz to maritime trade “is choking the movement of oil, gas, and fertiliser at a critical moment in the global planting season,” he said.
Tanker traffic has dropped by more than 90 per cent, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which is threatening agricultural production and global food security.
“The crisis is causing the most significant global humanitarian supply chain disruptionssince COVID-19 and the onset of the war in Ukraine,” the UN aid coordination office OCHA added.
“Humanitarian supply lines across the Middle East are being severely disrupted, threatening the timely delivery of lifesaving food, medical items and emergency relief to millions.”
