Copenhagen, Mar. 8, (dpa/GNA) – The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Europe office is deeply concerned about the situation in Ukraine.
“It is my deepest sorrow to see my region emerging from two terrible pandemic years being now confronted with the devastating impact of military hostilities on dozens of millions of its people in Ukraine and beyond,” WHO Regional Director Hans Kluge said at an online press conference in Copenhagen on Tuesday.
The WHO European region includes not only the EU but also countries further east, such as Russia and Ukraine.
Health workers, hospitals and other medical facilities should never be the target of attacks, even in crises and conflicts, Kluge stressed.
So far, he said, 16 reports of attacks on health services in Ukraine have been confirmed, and more are under review. “WHO strongly condemns these attacks on health-care services,” he said.
Inside Ukraine, he said, they see a health system under severe pressure, while beyond its borders, the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe in more than 75 years.
For the WHO, there are three priorities in this situation, according to Kluge: Firstly, it is working to get needed health supplies into Ukraine, including oxygen, insulin and protective equipment.
Secondly, the health infrastructure in the neighbouring countries needs to be secured in order to be able to take care of the health of refugees.
A third focus is currently on providing support for immediate health needs in Ukraine through a fully functional WHO operational centre in Lviv.
Ukraine has to deal with three parallel emergencies at once: In addition to the military conflict, these include Covid-19 and polio outbreaks.
GNA