The earthquake that hit Bam City and surrounding villages in Kerman province in south-eastern Iran in December 2003 affected more than 50,000 persons living in the area, and almost completely destroyed the 2500 year old historic city of Bam. Humanitarian assistance was mobilised within hours of the earthquake to treat the injured, care for survivors and bury the dead. After the acute emergency phase, the WHO in collaboration with the Iranian government, the Iranian Red Crescent Society, UNICEF, UNFPA and others, organised a workshop to review the health sector response to the disaster, as part of the overall humanitarian response. This publication details the lessons learned from the exercise.