© WHO A hospital in Kiev, Ukraine, remains closed after being hit by a missile attack. WHO has recorded more than 900 attacks on health facilities this year Healthcare
In 2026 alone, the World Health Organization recorded 914 attacks on medical facilities and personnel, resulting in at least 911 deaths and injuries. 1 486. That is equivalent to more of four attacks every day.
Speaking at a briefing in Geneva on Friday, WHO Director of Emergency Management and Humanitarian Operations Altaf Musani reported that since 2018, more than 10,400 attacks on healthcare facilities have been documented. As a result of such attacks, about 5,700 people were killed, and another 8,500 were injured. wounds.
This year, Ukraine, Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territory have suffered the most from attacks on the medical system. Attacks on healthcare facilities were also reported in Myanmar, Iran, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Russian Federation, Syria and Nigeria. The most common type of attack in 2026 was heavy weapons.
Large-scale consequences
Musani emphasized, that the consequences of attacks on the health care system are not limited to immediate physical damage, and statistics do not reflect the full depth of the problem.
“When a hospital is attacked, the effects are felt by more than just the people inside,” he said. This means that in the days following an attack, patients cannot get the services they need, health workers lose their jobs, and supplies of life-saving drugs are cut off. Such attacks can be large-scale and long-lasting. Thus, a study conducted in northwestern Syria showed that after the attacks, the number of outpatient consultations the next day was reduced by 51 percent, while this situation persisted for up to 37 days. stated that since the start of full-scale war, the WHO has confirmed more than three thousand attacks, affecting not only medical facilities, but also ambulances, warehouses and supply chains.
A representative of the UN agency said that in 2026, the organization recorded 156 attacks on health facilities, including an attack on a WHO warehouse last week.
According to him “Such attacks have a direct impact on the organization’s ability to deliver medical supplies to both frontline facilities and hospitals involved in rebuilding the health system.” “This has a direct impact on both patients and the health care workers who provide life-saving care to them every day,” emphasized Musani.
Devastating conflicts
In Sudan, by 2026, 37 percent of health facilities were reportedly not functioning.
Mousani also said that WHO continues to record attacks on health facilities during the conflict in the Middle East, including in Lebanon, Israel and Iran.
In Gaza, all 36 hospitals in the enclave were damaged, with only half of them still partially work. The primary health care system has also been severely affected.
The current outbreak of Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus has been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since May 2026. 12 attacks on healthcare facilities. These attacks hinder the detection of new cases and containment of the epidemic.
“Every damaged medical facility means a loss of services, and Every interrupted service is a person who may be left without medical care,” Musani emphasized. to bring perpetrators to justice, the WHO representative noted that the organization has neither the appropriate mandate nor the necessary powers. responsibility for such violations.