WHO supported the resolution of Ukraine and condemned the aggression of the Russian Federation, which led to a humanitarian crisis

88 countries supported the resolution “Emergency situation in the healthcare sector of Ukraine, countries hosting and accomodating refugees caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation” at the 75th session of the World Health Assembly.

The resolution blames Russia for the destruction of Ukraine’s healthcare system as a result of the war of conquest and strongly condemns Russia’s aggression, which led to health emergency and, in fact, humanitarian crisis. The resolution requires Russia to immediately stop any attacks on hospitals and other health facilities, fully respect and protect all medical and humanitarian personnel who are engaged exclusively in medical duties, their vehicles and equipment.

For more than three months of the war, Russia has systematically violated international humanitarian law. Thousands of Ukrainian citizens in the territories temporarily occupied by Russia and in regions where the aggressor is fighting do not have access to vital medicines, medical care and clean drinking water.

The resolution of Ukraine lays down mechanisms for further isolation of the Russian Federation, including through the deprivation of membership rights and the right to vote in WHO, in case of non-compliance with the requirements put forward in the resolution.

The resolution encourages all WHO member states to increase contributions for Ukraine and host countries, encourages WHO and partners to allocate additional human and financial resources for Ukraine, ensure response, support stable purchases of essential medicines, medical equipment and other health technologies, monitor, collect, document and distribute data on attacks on health facilities, health workers, medical transport and patients in Ukraine.

“The war unleashed by Russia has already claimed thousands of civilian lives, forced millions of people to leave their homes, completely destroyed more than 100 health facilities and damaged more than 500 medical infrastructure facilities. Today in Ukraine some cities where hundreds of thousands of people lived are completely wiped off from the face of the Earth. And all this is happening under the accompaniment of lies, fakes and propaganda from the Russian Federation about exclusively military objects of attacks, about chemical and biological weapons that are allegedly being developed in Ukraine,” said Deputy Health Minister Oleksii Yaremenko, commenting on Ukraine’s position.  

The world is more united than ever around health issues. Dozens of states expressed support for the resolution of Ukraine and condemned the aggressive militant and inhumane policy of the Russian Federation. Among them: USA, Great Britain, France, Canada, Poland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Moldova, and many others. 

Ukraine thanks every WHO member state that voted for the Ukrainian resolution and showed practical unanimity in countering the aggressor and his attempts to impose a distorted picture of reality perception.  

In turn, the resolution submitted for consideration by Russia at the 75th session of the WHO was not supported. The terrorist country actually copied the text of the Ukrainian document, removing references to its atrocities against humanity in order to avoid responsibility. However, the civilized world understands that to support the Russian resolution means to support the terrorism that the aggressor is committing on the territory of Ukraine.

It should be recalled that earlier, a regional resolution on this issue was adopted by the WHO European Regional Committee, which launched a mechanism for moving the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases outside of Russia.