The World Health Organization warned on Monday that the winter would “endanger” the lives of millions of people in Ukraine after Russia’s series of devastating attacks on the country’s power grid.
“Quite simply – this winter will be about survival,” Hans Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe, told the media during his visit to Kyiv.
“This winter will endanger the lives of millions of people in Ukraine,” he said, according to AFP.
“A clear violation” of international humanitarian law
The damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure caused by the numerous missile attacks “is already having knock-out effects on the health system and people’s health,” Kluge said.
He stated that the WHO has recorded more than 700 attacks on health facilities in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February.
Kluge pointed to “a clear violation” of international humanitarian law.
“We expect another two to three million people to leave their homes”
“Continued attacks on health and energy infrastructure mean that hundreds of hospitals and health facilities are no longer fully operational,” Kluge said.
“We expect another two to three million people to leave their homes in search of warmth and safety,” he warned: “They will face unique health challenges, including respiratory infections such as COVID-19, pneumonia , influenza and with the serious risk of diphtheria and measles among the insufficiently vaccinated population”.