The health system ‘became a target’ in Ukraine, complains the WHO

The World Health Organization “has never seen as many attacks on the health system” as are currently taking place in Ukraine, following the invasion of Russian forces on 24 February.

“The health system has become a target (…) These attacks are beginning to be part of the war strategy and tactics. It is completely unacceptable, it is contrary to international humanitarian law,” Michael Ryan, the head of the emergency services, said in an interview. Type granted.

“We are only at the beginning (…) and we have not seen so many attacks on the health system anywhere in the world,” he added.

Since February 24, the WHO has counted 43 attacks on the health system, either against medical facilities or against workers in the sector.

“Ukraine’s health system has reached a critical juncture, it is on the brink,” Ryan warned, wondering: “The’s Ukrainian health system needs support, but how do we develop teams on the ground when infrastructure is targeted?”

The WHO, however, declined to say where the attacks came from.

“The WHO’s priority remains to support the healthcare staff and the health system to continue to provide care to meet immediate needs,” the agency’s director general, Tantros Antanom Gebregesous, told reporters.

-Lack of resources-

The WHO has been able to send aid to many Ukrainian cities, but is still struggling to reach some of them. About 100 tons of medical supplies (oxygen, insulin, surgical instruments, anesthetic, etc.) have been sent so far. It has also sent electric generators and defibrillators while another 108 tons are being prepared with various materials.

“We are coordinating the development of 20 medical teams, consisting of specialists from different countries, pending a formal request from the Ukrainian Ministry of Health. And we have opened an office in Poland to support our operations in Ukraine and meet the needs of refugees,” he explained. the Center.

The WHO, however, is facing financial difficulties that limit its capabilities. It has received only $ 8 million, although it requested $ 57.5 million to meet Ukraine’s needs.

“Huge sums of money are being spent on the arms market. We are asking donors to invest in the people of Ukraine and in the refugees who need care,” said Dr. Tentros.

The WHO Director-General also noted that although Ukraine is now in the spotlight, it is not the only crisis the Organization has to deal with, referring to Afghanistan, Yemen and Ethiopia’s Tigris, where he is from. . In Tigray, “the situation is catastrophic,” he said, referring to a “forgotten crisis.”

“Yes, I come from Tigray and this crisis is affecting me personally, as well as my family and friends. But as the director general of the WHO I have a duty to protect and promote health wherever it is threatened and there is no other area. “a world where the health of millions of people is most threatened,” he concluded.

SOURCE: AMPE