The first lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska complained today to World Health Organizationthe unthinkable “horror” caused by the Russian forces in its country, at a time when Moscow, for its part, spoke of “politicization” of the WHO.
Russia’s war “shows a horror we could not imagine,” he said Olena Zelenska at the General Assembly of the Organizationin which its member countries participate. “WHO is committed to protecting the most fundamental human rights, those of life and health” but “today, they are being violated in Ukraine”he said, speaking via video call.
“No Ukrainian, adult or child, is sure that he will wake up tomorrow”, that his house will not be hit by a rocket. “Doctors can not be sure that their ambulances will not be bombed”he stressed.
The Ukrainian first lady also referred to the long-term consequences of the war, especially on mental health. “I could cite many horrible examples, but I will talk about one that shows the extent of the phenomenon. People hide in the Kharkiv metro for three months (…) and live there with their children and animals. Because all these months Kharkov was bombed. “And now that the metro has to be put back into operation for the first time since the war, it turns out that there are hundreds of people who have not come to the surface at all for all this time, and they have to be forced to do so,” he explained.
Zelenska called on the international community to support Ukraine in meeting these challenges.
Speaking at the General Assembly, Russian Deputy Health Minister Alexandra Dronova denounced “attempts to politicize the work of the Organization” and “deviation from the principle of impartiality” in the execution of his work.
“In this light, we ask the Director-General (of the WHO) not to allow the Organization to become a political platform,” he added, explaining that Moscow considers it a “reliable partner” because it guarantees the warring parties “equal and full access” to health services.
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