Iran Blackout Deepens, Peacekeepers Wounded in Lebanon and Regional Humanitarian Crises Intensify
The widening war across Iran and the Middle East is beginning to strain global humanitarian systems, with United Nations officials warning that escalating military spending and expanding conflicts are diverting resources away from life-saving aid just as multiple crises deepen simultaneously.
U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher said the scale of money being poured into warfare is leaving humanitarian operations dangerously underfunded at a moment when global needs are surging.
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| Tom Fletcher Via: UN News |
“Staggering amounts of money are funding a war spent on destruction while politicians continue to boast about cutting aid budgets for those in greatest need,” Fletcher said.
He added that the shift in priorities is already affecting humanitarian operations responding to crises in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. As conflicts spread, Fletcher said, “more resources flow towards weapons rather than the funding, the political will, the diplomatic energy needed for saving lives.”
The humanitarian warning comes as the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran continues to expand geographically and disrupt civilian life across several countries.
Three United Nations peacekeepers were wounded after heavy gunfire struck a base of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the village of Al-Qawzah in southwestern Lebanon.
The mission said the peacekeepers were inside their base when the attack occurred, with one transferred to a hospital in Beirut while two others were treated at a UN medical facility. UNIFIL said the incident would be investigated and stressed that attacks on peacekeepers performing Security Council-mandated duties are unacceptable and may constitute violations of international humanitarian law.
At the same time, human rights organisations are raising alarm over the conditions faced by civilians as the conflict intensifies. Amnesty International said Israel’s large-scale evacuation warnings for parts of Lebanon are spreading fear among residents, warning that such orders cannot justify treating entire neighbourhoods as open combat zones.
United Nations human rights officials say tens of thousands of Lebanese civilians have already been displaced and relief agencies have distributed tens of thousands of emergency items including bedding, water containers and essential supplies to people sheltering in government facilities.
Inside Iran, the war has been accompanied by an unprecedented information blackout. National internet connectivity across Iran has fallen to less than one percent of pre-war levels as a government-imposed shutdown entered its seventh day.
Monitoring group NetBlocks reported similar figures, saying connectivity remained at roughly one percent after more than 140 hours of blackout.
Human Rights Watch condemned the shutdown, warning that cutting off digital communication during wartime can conceal abuses, spread misinformation and prevent civilians from accessing critical information about safety, food distribution, shelter and medical care. Rights groups argue that restricting internet access during active hostilities could increase risks to civilians who rely on digital networks for emergency updates and humanitarian assistance.
Diplomatic tensions at the United Nations are also rising. Iran’s ambassador to the U.N., Amir Saeid Iravani, accused the United States and Israel of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure across the country, including residential areas and hospitals.
He told reporters such attacks amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, though Washington and its allies have repeatedly rejected similar allegations. Iravani also rejected suggestions by U.S. President Donald Trump that Washington should influence the choice of Iran’s next supreme leader, saying such remarks violate the principle of non-interference in sovereign states.
The conflict’s ripple effects are spreading beyond the battlefield and humanitarian sphere into global transportation and energy systems. Airline operations across the Gulf remain heavily disrupted, with Qatar Airways announcing limited repatriation flights from Doha to several European capitals after airspace closures stranded thousands of travellers. The carrier said the flights would operate only through a temporary safe corridor authorised by aviation authorities.
Meanwhile, maritime and energy markets are continuing to react to instability around the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping analysts say the conflict has intensified concerns over supply routes used for both oil and food shipments across the Gulf.
Market intelligence firm Kpler noted that a temporary waiver issued by the United States allowing Indian refiners to purchase Russian crude stranded at sea could provide short-term relief to India’s oil supply chain, particularly because a large share of its imports normally passes through Hormuz.