“During 1,534 days of war, Ukraine’s healthcare system has experienced repeated attacks,” it said.
All aspects of the system have been targetedfrom primary health centers to maternity wards, ambulance teams and pharmaceutical warehouses.
“This cannot be normalized”
About 80 percent of the attacks hit outpatient clinics, hospitals and other care environments. They caused immediate casualties, but also disruptions in the delivery of services and damage to critical infrastructure, ultimately eroding the capacity of the health system.
Attacks on ambulances and other medical vehicles accounted for around 20 per cent. Almost a third of the incidents resulted in casualtieswhich makes medical transport one of the highest risk areas for injury and death.
“Each of these attacks is a violation of international humanitarian law, and each represents a patient who could not be reached, a health worker at risk, a community without care,” said Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
“This cannot be normalized. Under international humanitarian law, healthcare is protected.”
Growing losses, growing needs
The attack on Ukraine’s health infrastructure has significantly hampered the ability of medical personnel to deliver essential care, which is taking place amid escalating needs.
Around 12.7 million people nationwide are in need of humanitarian assistanceincluding 9.2 million who need health support, according to UN figures. Meanwhile civilian casualties have increased by around 31 per cent compared to 2025.
“Since the beginning of this year alone, 186 attacks on healthcare verified by the WHO have resulted in 15 deaths and left at least 81 people injured, and the number continues to rise,” said Dr. Jarno Habicht, the agency’s representative in Ukraine.
“Compared to the same period in 2025, the number of deaths has almost quadrupled, while injuries have almost doubled.”
Underground maternity wards have been built near combat zones in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Continued support required
Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health of Ukraine, expressed gratitude to WHO and partners for their support. He said the latest estimates show it will cost $23.6 billion to rebuild the health sector over the next decade.
“At the same time, we are doing everything to ensure that patients have access to the necessary medical treatment,” he added.
WHO stressed the need to maintain and strengthen Ukraine’s health system to ensure that millions across the country have uninterrupted access.
In the last year alone, WHO supported 1.9 million people with essential health servicesalmost 1,000 health facilities with medicine and equipment and more than 2,500 health workers through training.
In addition, over 6,400 patients were assisted with medical evacuation abroad for specialist treatment.
Assistance to farmers
Meanwhile, two UN entities have launched a program to help small farmers in Khersonska oblast in southern Ukraine restore farmland and revive war-affected agricultural activities.
The initiative has been taken by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in collaboration with the Ministry of the Economy, Environment and Agriculture.
The partners have issued a new call for applications in the State Agrarian Registry (SAR) for farmers in four communities whose land has been affected by the hostilities and further affected by drought.
Eligible applicants include agricultural producers cultivating between three and 300 hectares of land located at a safe distance from the front line.
Cash, seeds and guidance
Those selected will receive cash assistance and vouchers to purchase items such as drought-adapted seeds, drip irrigation kits and other farm materials needed to restart production.
They will also receive guidance and support in applying for the government’s compensation program for humanitarian demining.
The initiative is implemented with financial support from the Ukraine Community Recovery Fund (UCRF) – a UN-supported entity.
It is part of a wider $2.6 million joint project by FAO and UNOPS, funded through UCRF, to help farming communities in the Kherson region safely return to agricultural production.
