2023-05-30 17:33:31
The World Health Organization said Tuesday that Russian forces have launched 1,000 attacks against hospitals, health centers and doctors in Ukraine since the invasion began last year.
As a result of those attacks, 101 people were killed, including medical workers and patients, according to the British Telegraph newspaper.
The World Health Organization indicated that this number is the highest ever in light of the declaration of a humanitarian emergency, adding that such attacks are a war crime.
“Targeting the health system is a violation of international humanitarian law,” said Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine. “They are depriving people of the healthcare they desperately need.”
The most important areas affected by these targeting are Kherson, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia and Donetsk.
The Telegraph drew attention to an investigation published in February that revealed that in the first year of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, hospitals were looted, doctors detained, and patients denied treatment.
For his part, Habicht added, “As we work to monitor the targeting of medical facilities, we note other attacks against civilian infrastructure, especially over the past six months.”
The World Health Organization indicates that the continuation of attacks against medical facilities will lead to an increase in the number of deaths and deterioration of the health system in the long term, and the psychological impact of the attacks on patients will make them fear the idea of seeking help for years.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, and the battles developed recently, as the Russian capital, Moscow, was targeted by marches, for which Ukraine denied responsibility.
But fears increased in the aftermath of Tuesday’s attack on Moscow, of a violent reaction by the Russian president, which could lead to heavy losses in Ukraine.
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