Ukraine sees over 200 Russian attacks on healthcare, must be probed: WHO

Kiev: The World Health Organization (WHO), which recorded 226 attacks on Ukrainian healthcare, almost three attacks per day since Russia’s began its invasion of the country on February 24, has called for a probe.
According to Hans Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe, Russia’s attacks on health-care facilities and ambulances in Ukraine have left at least 75 people dead and 49 injured.
In addition, the attacks have significantly damaged medical infrastructure in Ukraine, and severely impacted access to health care in many areas.
“Two thirds of all attacks on health care this year verified by WHO globally have been in Ukraine,” Kluge said in a statement on Tuesday, on his third visit in the year to the war-torn country.
“These attacks are not justifiable, they are never OK, and they must be investigated. It is an insult to the dedication and integrity of health workers everywhere that they continue with impunity. No health professional should have to deliver health care on a knife edge,” he added.
The WHO will contribute to any investigation that takes place in the future, Kluge said, on the 83rd day of Russia’s invasion, which has caused thousands of civilian deaths and injuries in Ukraine, including children.