“The health system has become a target.” The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday March 16 that it had never seen “so many attacks on the health system” right now in Ukraine, where Russian forces entered on February 24.
“It’s starting to become part of the strategy and tactics of war. It’s totally unacceptable, it’s against international humanitarian law.”denounced the chief of emergencies of the WHO, Michael Ryan, during a press conference.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the WHO has authenticated 43 attacks against the health system. These may include attacks on medical facilities or healthcare workers. “The Ukrainian health system has reached a critical level, it is teetering on the edge of the abyss”alerted Michael Ryan.
The WHO has been able to deliver aid to many towns in Ukraine, but still has difficulty accessing it. Around 100 tonnes of supplies, including oxygen, insulin, surgical equipment, anesthetics and blood transfusion kits, have been delivered so far. Other equipment, including oxygen generators, electrical generators and defibrillators, was also delivered.
“We are coordinating the deployment of 20 emergency medical teams composed of experts from many countries, awaiting an official request for assistance from the Ukrainian Ministry of Health. And we have opened an office in Poland to support our operations in Ukraine and coordinate the response to refugee health needs”explained the Director General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
However, the UN health agency is faces financial constraints that limit its ability to provide the necessary assistance. The organization has only received $8 million of the $57.5 million requested as part of its appeal for funds for Ukraine.