WHO demands immediate end to Russian attacks on Ukrainian health system

A resolution fifteen months to the day after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The World Health Assembly in Geneva (Switzerland) demanded that Russia stop “immediately” his attacks on the Ukrainian health system, Wednesday, May 24.

The text was adopted by 80 votes against nine opposed to the text, including Russia, China, Syria, Algeria or even Cuba and North Korea. Some 52 countries abstained. The Ukrainian ambassador, Yevheniia Filipenko, spoke “a sign of hope for more than 14 million Ukrainians in need of health assistance”, and a show of solidarity with the country’s health workers. The representative of Russia, for her part, denounced a text “full of lies”.

The resolution carried by Ukraine also condemns “in the strongest terms the continued aggression of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, including attacks on health care facilities”. She also condemns “widespread attacks on civilians and critical civilian infrastructure, which have resulted in heavy casualties and hampered access to health care.” According to the most recent census of the World Health Organization, 974 verified attacks against health services in Ukraine have taken place since the beginning of the conflict. These attacks killed 101 people.