Russia's assault on Ukraine has included a number of assaults towards Ukrainian hospitals, ambulances and well being employees, the World Well being Group mentioned on Wednesday. Within the two weeks since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion, WHO has confirmed 18 assaults on well being suppliers.
The 18 assaults to date have resulted in at the very least 10 deaths and 16 accidents, WHO Director-Common Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mentioned.
"These assaults deprive all communities of well being care," he mentioned, including that the "solely actual resolution to the scenario is peace."
The WHO chief's feedback got here as a Mariupol kids's hospital and maternity facility suffered "colossal" harm from what Ukrainian officers mentioned was a Russian strike. Video taken after the alleged assault exhibits the skin of the ability practically eradicated, with autos fully destroyed, timber coated in soot, and particles flying in all places.
Further video posted by Ukrainian President Volydmyr Zelensky exhibits the extent of the harm inside the ability. The walkthrough of the ability exhibits partitions falling, shattered home windows, and rooms in full disarray.
Town's council mentioned that the harm was "colossal," and Zelensky mentioned that which are "individuals, kids underneath the wreckage."
"Atrocity!" the president mentioned on Twitter, reiterating his request for NATO to implement a no-fly zone over the nation. "You've got the facility however you appear to be shedding humanity," he mentioned.
Mike Ryan, the pinnacle of WHO's emergencies program, mentioned Wednesday that the violence within the nation is driving a well being disaster that "will solely worsen" until there's a ceasefire.
With greater than 2 million individuals fleeing the nation, an untallied quantity staying in bomb shelters, and a number of assaults on well being services, the circumstances in Ukraine "are the worst potential elements" for the unfold of an infection, Ryan mentioned, calling infectious ailments "one of many 4 horsemen of the apocalypse."
"It does not matter if it is COVID, does not matter if it is polio, does not matter if it is measles," he mentioned. "You place that many individuals in desperation and on the transfer, girls and kids packed collectively, individuals in basements, individuals burdened, individuals not consuming, not sleeping, these are the circumstances through which immune techniques are weak, individuals's defenses are low and infectious ailments can rip by populations."