Dr. Hanan Balkhy

The health of millions of people across the Eastern Mediterranean region is under siege. From Gaza to Sudan, war has torn through hospitals, displaced health workers and left civilians without access to the most basic services.

War, displacement and instability are fueling the rise of preventable diseases across the Eastern Mediterranean region. But even in the most challenging conditions, women continue to make the difference between life and death.

As the sun rises over Gaza, it illuminates a landscape marked by devastation and despair. The wholesale destruction. The eradication of any sign that normal lives are being led. It is a scene few of us would recognize. It might as well be the far side of the moon.