War in Ukraine: WHO demands immediate end to Russian attacks on Ukrainian health system

The World Health Assembly in Geneva demanded Wednesday (May 24th) that Russia "immediately" cease its attacks "against hospitals and other health facilities" in Ukraine, in a resolution marking a new gesture of support for Kiev.

The text was adopted by 80 votes against 9 against the text, including Russia and China but also Syria, Algeria, Cuba and North Korea. Shortly before the vote, Ukraine's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, claimed that "Russia's masks fell on February 24 last year when Russia launched its unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, inflicting a serious health emergency."

'Daily attacks'

She accused Russia of continuing "its daily attacks on critical and civilian infrastructure throughout her country." "And to Ukraine, let me say this: we are ending the conflict that you have been waging since 2014 and that you started at that time," said the representative of Russia, who accuses her neighbor of being responsible for the war. Some 52 countries, out of the 177 member countries of the WHO (World Health Organization) that had the right to participate in the vote, abstained. Hungary stood out among all EU member countries, not co-signing the resolution and being absent from the vote.

The resolution also condemns "in the strongest terms the Russian Federation's continued aggression against Ukraine, including attacks on health-care facilities listed by the WHO Health Services Attack Surveillance System." It also condemns "widespread attacks on civilians and critical civilian infrastructure that have resulted in heavy casualties and impeded access to health care.

'Serious concern'

According to the most recent WHO census, there were 974 verified attacks on health services in Ukraine that killed 101 people. Russia and Syria presented their own text stating "grave concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in and around Ukraine," but making no mention of Moscow's invasion of the country. The "cynicism" of this draft resolution was strongly criticized by Kiev's allies. The text was rejected by 62 votes against, 13 in favour and 61 abstentions.

On Tuesday, Jérôme Bonnafont, France ambassador to the UN in Geneva, called on his colleagues to "unequivocally reject this new cynical attack on the truth". "The human toll of the war is clear: according to the WHO report, more than 20,000 civilian victims, health workers and facilities targeted, many cases of sexual assault, increased psychosocial risks and long-term mental health damage," Bonnafont said.