The World Health Organization on Saturday said it has verified 72 attacks on hospitals and clinics in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began Feb. 24.
The total jumped from 64 on Thursday.
WHO said that 71 deaths and 37 injuries resulted from the attacks, which included 58 on health care facilities, 11 on transportation, 16 on health care workers and 10 on patients.
“WHO strongly condemns these attacks,” the agency tweeted. “Attacks on health care; e.g. patients, facilities, transport, personnel, supplies & warehouses – violate international law & endanger lives.”
“We are concerned that this number is increasing daily,” the WHO’s Ukraine country representative Jarno Habicht told the BBC. “Health facilities should be safe places for both doctors and nurses, but also patients to turn to for treatment. This should not happen.”
Smoke rises in Lviv, western Ukraine. AP
A map shows the cities threatened by Russian incursion.
Rubble is seen at a psychiatric hospital, which was hit by an enemy shell, in the village of Oskil. via REUTERSThe agency keeps running tabs on attacks on health care facilities in conflicts throughout the world.
In its social media posts, WHO used the hashtag #NotATarget and shared images of health care workers with the slogan “Health workers must not be a target.”
