The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) says 49 primary healthcare centres and five hospitals in Lebanon have shut down amid escalating fighting in the region, Al Jazeera reports.

In a statement on X, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said the closures followed evacuation orders and were severely restricting access to medical care.

He warns that health systems across the region are under intense pressure more than 10 days into the latest escalation.

The WHO has also verified 18 attacks on health facilities in Iran, 25 in Lebanon and two in Israel since February 28, he said.

Ghebreyesus adds that displacement is increasing, with more than 100,000 people uprooted in Iran and up to 700,000 in Lebanon, raising concerns over access to clean water, sanitation and medical care.