The World Health Organization (WHO) has counted 802 attacks on Ukraine’s health network since the Russian invasion of the country began, killing at least 101 health workers and patients.
“War has exacerbated health needs, including the need for mental health care and psychosocial support”WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference where statistics collected by this United Nations agency were presented.
The treatment of chronic diseases, cancer, HIV, tuberculosis and vaccination against measles, polio and Covid-19 are other needs whose attention has been hampered by the conflict, said the head of WHO, an agency that has provided support for the past 12 months to 8.4 million Ukrainians.
The WHO recently asked the international community for $240 million (about €225 million) to continue meeting health needs in Ukrainewhere he hopes to get help for 11.4 million people this year.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 has so far led to the flight of more than 14 million people – 6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than eight million to European countries – according to the most recent data from the UN, which classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion – justified by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russian security – was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending arms to Ukraine and impose political and economic sanctions on Russia.
The UN presented 7,199 civilian deaths and 11,756 wounded as confirmed since the start of the war, underlining that these numbers are far below the real ones.
Source: DN
