WHO Chief Says Warehouse Hit in Ukraine

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Sunday that a WHO warehouse in Dnipro, Ukraine, which stored medical supplies for frontline health facilities, was destroyed by an attack. No casualties were reported at the time of the statement by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on X. The team responsible for the storage had evacuated 130 out of approximately 300 pallets before the attack.

The warehouse held humanitarian medical supplies meant for health facilities, primarily emergency health supplies from the WHO. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the WHO has documented 3,148 attacks on healthcare, with the majority involving heavy weapons. Of these attacks, 2,567 targeted facilities, 71 impacted warehouses, and 645 affected supplies, resulting in 240 deaths and 1,055 injuries.

Tedros emphasized that attacks on healthcare must cease, stressing that health should be protected, even in times of war. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) had previously condemned Russia's strategy to destroy Ukraine's healthcare system, documenting a pattern of attacks throughout the conflict. Russia has been accused of relentless attacks on healthcare facilities and medical staff, which appear to be a deliberate attempt to destroy the healthcare system and punish the population.