The World Health Organization stated on Wednesday that the increase in COVID-19 cases in many countries in the Middle East may have severe consequences, worsened by the spread of the Delta variant and the limited availability of vaccines against it.
The organization highlighted that after eight weeks of declining infections and fatalities in the Eastern Mediterranean region, there is a notable increase in cases in Libya, Iran, Iraq, and Tunisia, along with sharp increases expected in Lebanon and Morocco. The countries in the region will celebrate Eid al-Adha next week, a time that traditionally sees religious and social gatherings that may facilitate virus spread.
The regional office of the organization said in a statement: "The World Health Organization is concerned about the possibility of the current rise in COVID-19 cases continuing in the coming weeks, with potentially catastrophic consequences."
The organization attributed this spike to non-compliance with public health measures and social distancing, "increased laxity within communities," as well as low vaccination rates and the emergence of new virus strains.
The World Health Organization underscored Tunisia as the country with the highest death rate from COVID-19 in the region and Africa, noting that daily cases have nearly doubled in Iran over four weeks leading up to early July.
The statement mentioned that the total number of COVID-19 cases in the Eastern Mediterranean region, which includes Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Djibouti, in addition to Middle Eastern countries, exceeded 11.4 million. It added that recorded deaths in the region surpass 223,000.
Globally, COVID-19 has caused the deaths of 4,053,041 people since the WHO office in China reported the emergence of the disease at the end of December 2019, according to a tally by AFP based on official sources as of Wednesday. More than 187,779,210 individuals have been confirmed infected since the virus appeared. The vast majority of those infected have recovered, although some continue to experience symptoms for weeks or even months.
The figures are based on daily reports issued by health authorities in each country and exclude subsequent revisions by statistical agencies that indicate significantly higher death tolls. The World Health Organization considers the excess mortality rate directly or indirectly associated with COVID-19, suggesting that the pandemic's toll may be two to three times greater than the officially reported figures. A significant proportion of milder or asymptomatic cases remain undetected despite extensive testing in many countries.
