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Policy and rightsWHO media Update May 10
Published 3 years, 10 months ago
Description
On Sunday, I left Ukraine, where alongside my Executive Director Dr. Mike Ryan and WHO colleagues we saw first-hand hospitals that have been bombed, we spoke with health workers and we met patients that were physically injured and mentally exhausted.
We met with the Prime Minister, Minister of Health and other officials and saw their commitment to health despite the difficult circumstances.
We told them that WHO would continue to do whatever is needed to support the people of Ukraine.
We thanked WHO colleagues who are on the ground and working around the clock to get lifesaving supplies to those that need them most.
Some of our Ukrainian staff have lost loved ones and their own homes, but they have kept working to support the health needs of the people of Ukraine.
We pay tribute to each and every one of them.
WHO continues to deliver trauma and emergency supplies and medical equipment.
We visited warehouse Rzeszow and Lviv and had the honour to hand over 20 ambulances to Deputy Minister of Health that are designed to function in even the most damaged and inaccessible areas.
To support our work, WHO has issued an updated appeal for almost US $150 million, detailing the resources we need for Ukraine and refugee-receiving and hosting countries until August.
We thank those who have contributed already, but we still face a funding gap of US $100 million.
These funds will support access to essential health services, including trauma care, for six million people.
But for everything WHO is doing, it can’t meet the all the needs of people in Ukraine right now.
What Ukraine really needs more than anything else, is peace.
And so, again, we continue to call on the Russian Federation to stop this war.
===
The Ukraine situation also made me think about growing up in war.
The smells, the sounds and memories you lock away because to be frank - they’re just too difficult.
War really is hell. It makes everything worse and development next to impossible.
Conversely, peace is foundational to everything positive.
Sadly, in Tigray, Ethiopia, people are suffering due to one of the longest blockades in history.
Seven weeks ago, a truce was called but there are still nowhere near enough supplies getting into the region.
Only one convoy of 17 trucks of humanitarian assistance crossed into Tigray last week, carrying food and water and sanitation supplies.
Current supplies of food are too little to sustain life.
The health system has collapsed.
People are starving to death and it is intentional.
Things are so bad that journalists cannot even access the region, removing the world’s eyes to what is happening.
I ask the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments to end the siege now, get supplies into the region on a regular and sustainable basis, and work for peace.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/policy-and-rights--3339563/support.
We met with the Prime Minister, Minister of Health and other officials and saw their commitment to health despite the difficult circumstances.
We told them that WHO would continue to do whatever is needed to support the people of Ukraine.
We thanked WHO colleagues who are on the ground and working around the clock to get lifesaving supplies to those that need them most.
Some of our Ukrainian staff have lost loved ones and their own homes, but they have kept working to support the health needs of the people of Ukraine.
We pay tribute to each and every one of them.
WHO continues to deliver trauma and emergency supplies and medical equipment.
We visited warehouse Rzeszow and Lviv and had the honour to hand over 20 ambulances to Deputy Minister of Health that are designed to function in even the most damaged and inaccessible areas.
To support our work, WHO has issued an updated appeal for almost US $150 million, detailing the resources we need for Ukraine and refugee-receiving and hosting countries until August.
We thank those who have contributed already, but we still face a funding gap of US $100 million.
These funds will support access to essential health services, including trauma care, for six million people.
But for everything WHO is doing, it can’t meet the all the needs of people in Ukraine right now.
What Ukraine really needs more than anything else, is peace.
And so, again, we continue to call on the Russian Federation to stop this war.
===
The Ukraine situation also made me think about growing up in war.
The smells, the sounds and memories you lock away because to be frank - they’re just too difficult.
War really is hell. It makes everything worse and development next to impossible.
Conversely, peace is foundational to everything positive.
Sadly, in Tigray, Ethiopia, people are suffering due to one of the longest blockades in history.
Seven weeks ago, a truce was called but there are still nowhere near enough supplies getting into the region.
Only one convoy of 17 trucks of humanitarian assistance crossed into Tigray last week, carrying food and water and sanitation supplies.
Current supplies of food are too little to sustain life.
The health system has collapsed.
People are starving to death and it is intentional.
Things are so bad that journalists cannot even access the region, removing the world’s eyes to what is happening.
I ask the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments to end the siege now, get supplies into the region on a regular and sustainable basis, and work for peace.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/policy-and-rights--3339563/support.