UN Secretary-General warns Middle East war could trigger severe environmental crisis

2026-03-10 - 07:38

The office of António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, has warned of serious environmental consequences resulting from recent attacks on oil facilities and desalination plants in the Middle East. Speaking at a press conference, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the organization is increasingly concerned about the humanitarian and environmental impact of the escalating conflict in the region. “We continue to sound the alarm about the humanitarian impact of escalating violence in parts of the Middle East,” Dujarric said, noting that the ongoing hostilities have led to rising civilian casualties, damage to critical infrastructure and growing displacement of populations, reports Al-Rai daily. The UN also expressed deep concern over reports of attacks targeting oil facilities, warning that such incidents could have severe environmental repercussions across the region. According to the organization, damage to oil installations and desalination plants could directly affect air quality, drinking water supplies and food security for millions of people. Dujarric stressed that the environmental fallout from these attacks could spread beyond the immediate conflict zones, potentially creating long-term ecological and public health challenges for the wider region. The United Nations reiterated its call for restraint and emphasized the urgent need to protect civilian infrastructure and essential services amid the continuing escalation of violence.