Winter threatens a worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned at a briefing on Friday that humanitarian issues in Ukraine are likely to be exacerbated during the autumn and winter seasons.

WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Henri P. Kluge said at the media briefing that the organization is working to anticipate and prepare for the challenges of the approaching “brutal” winter in its humanitarian response to Russia’s war on the country.

Kluge remarked that risk of COVID-19, frostbite, hypothermia, pneumonia, stroke and heart attack will likely increase among Ukrainians who are living “precariously,” whether in substandard shelters, without access to heating or by regularly moving to different locations.

“The destruction of houses and lack of access to fuel or electricity due to damaged infrastructure could become a matter of life or death if people are unable to heat their homes,” said Kluge, adding that many are now living in collective centers or damaged homes without the proper insulation to survive winter.

The Ukrainian military has staged a massive counterattack against Russia in recent weeks, regaining thousands of square kilometers of territory taken by the invading country as far back as February.

However, Russia is persisting in its fight against its smaller neighbor, with President Vladimir Putin recently issuing a mobilization order to bolster the country’s forces amid the mounting losses.

Kluge said winter challenges, as well as the escalating fighting, are likely to increase internal displacement in Ukraine and further movement of refugees to surrounding countries, exacerbating the strain on health services in the region.

He pointed to recent bombings in Ukrainian cities and the threat to Ukrainian civilians and the “survival” of its health system.

“The escalation of the humanitarian emergency requires an escalation of the humanitarian response,” he said.

Kluge shared that the WHO’s most immediate priority is providing a thorough response to the 620 attacks on health by Russian troops that have taken place since February.

“We need to scale up our support to the rebuilding process,” he said, emphasizing the importance of boosting the capacity and morale of current health care workers.

He also said the organization is prioritizing treating mental health issues such as acute stress, anxiety, depression, substance use and post-traumatic stress disorder, saying that 10 million people in Ukraine are currently at risk of one or more of those disorders.