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Millions of lives at risk in Ukraine: World Health Organization

  • International
  • 22 November, 2022 15:54:28

Photo: Collected

International Desk: Russia has been conducting military operations in Ukraine for 9 consecutive months. Although the two sides have been at war for a long time, the coming winter could spell danger for the Ukrainians. The same has been said by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The organization says that the lives of millions of people in Ukraine will be threatened in the coming winter. British media BBC reported this information in a report on Tuesday (November 22).

Half of Ukraine's electricity and energy infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, and 10 million people are currently without power, said Dr. Hans Henry P. Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe.

Temperatures are even forecast to drop to minus 20 degrees Celsius (-20C) in some parts of Ukraine. In addition, the WHO has documented 703 attacks on Ukraine's health infrastructure since the Russian invasion began in February this year.

Russia has stepped up missile attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks. Basically, Russia launched an attack on Ukraine's energy network and infrastructure on October 8 in retaliation for the deadly explosion and fire incident on Europe's largest rail and road bridge connecting Russia with the Crimea peninsula.

Among them was a drone attack on a Russian fleet in the Black Sea near Sevastopol, the largest port city in the occupied Crimea peninsula, last month. After that, on several occasions, Russia launched a barrage of missiles targeting Ukraine's energy facilities.

According to the BBC, Russia carried out the heaviest airstrikes in Ukraine since the start of the war last week. Those attacks also targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure and civilian buildings.

These recent attacks by Russia are part of a broader strategy after the failure of the main frontal war, and as winter sets in, the effects of this Russian strategy are beginning to be felt more acutely in Ukraine.

"Simply put, the goal this winter will be survival," Dr Kluz told a news conference in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, on Monday.

He also said, naturally, in the current conditions there, this winter will pose a threat to the survival of people. In his words, Ukraine's health system is 'now facing its darkest days' since the start of the war and the best solution to end the conflict is running out.

Dr Kluz said hundreds of hospitals and healthcare infrastructure in Ukraine were now 'fully out of order' due to the attack. Because there is lack of fuel, water and electricity to meet basic needs'.

Mentioning the need for incubators for maternity wards, he said, refrigerators are needed for blood banks and ventilators are needed for intensive care beds. And so everyone needs fuel.

The World Health Organization says up to 3 million people may flee their homes in the coming winter in search of warmth and safety.

Dr. Kluz said he was "very concerned" for Donetsk's 17,000 HIV patients. Because there may soon be a shortage of antiretroviral drugs needed for these patients. Basically this medicine helps to keep HIV patients alive.

The WHO regional director for Europe says most of Donetsk is under Russian control. Due to which he urgently called for the creation of humanitarian health corridors in all areas of the region.

He said that there is also concern about the increase in the number of corona infections in Ukraine. Hans Henry P. Kluge says, let alone booster doses of vaccines. Millions of Ukrainians have reduced or no immunity to Covid due to low rates of basic corona vaccination.

 

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