Attacks on Ukrainian hospitals, ambulances increasing rapidly, WHO warns

Attacks on hospitals, ambulances and other health care facilities in Ukraine have increased rapidly in recent days and the country is running short of vital medical supplies, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

The U.N. agency confirmed on Monday that at least nine people had died in 16 attacks on health care facilities since the start of a Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. It did not say who was responsible.

The WHO’s senior emergency officer for Europe, Catherine Smallwood, told a news briefing that the tally included incidents where ambulances had been commandeered for purposes other than emergency healthcare.

“We will continue to update those numbers. They’ve been increasing quite rapidly over the past few days,” Smallwood said.

The agency is working to rapidly provide medical supplies to Ukraine, where oxygen, insulin, personal protective equipment, surgical items and blood products are running low, Europe regional director Hans Kluge told the briefing.

The supply of oxygen, children’s vaccines, especially against polio amid an outbreak, and mental health expertise are among the WHO’s top priorities for the region, he said

via Reuters