WHO: Attacks on healthcare in Ukraine to increase by 20 percent in 2025

As Ukraine enters its fifth year of war, its people suffered the highest number of attacks on their health in 2025, an increase of almost 20 percent compared to 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today.

Since the start of the large-scale war on February 24, 2022, WHO has documented at least 2.881 attacks on healthcare in Ukraine, targeting healthcare workers, facilities, ambulances and medical warehouses, the statement said.

Health services are under intense pressure on two fronts: direct attacks on healthcare and the cascading effects of strikes on civilian infrastructure, including thermal power plants that are the foundation of the country's electricity grid.

According to a WHO assessment conducted in December 2025, 59 percent of people in frontline areas reported their health as poor or very poor, compared to 47 percent in non-frontline areas.

"After four years of war, health needs are increasing, but many people are unable to get the care they need, in part because hospitals and clinics are regularly attacked," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

He added that WHO is working alongside Ukraine's dedicated health workers to ensure hospitals are supplied with the heat-maintaining supplies and medicines that people rely on most.

"Ultimately, the best medicine is peace," Ghebreyesus said.

During 2025, WHO support reached 1,9 million people across Ukraine through the provision of services, medical supplies, and capacity building, with a focus on frontline and hard-to-reach locations.

"Four years of war have created a serious health crisis in Ukraine," said WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge.

"The need to improve mental health is staggering. Exactly 72 percent of people surveyed had experienced anxiety or depression in the past year, and only one-fifth had sought help," Kluge said.

He added that cardiovascular diseases are on the rise, and many patients report that they cannot get the medications they need.

Attacks on healthcare intensified, peaking in the third quarter of 2025, when 184 attacks killed 12 people and injured 110 healthcare workers and patients.

At the same time, attacks on medical warehouses tripled in 2025, compared to the previous year, disrupting logistics and supply chains that are crucial for providing care across the country, the statement said.

Over the past four years, 233 health workers and patients have been killed and 930 injured in attacks on healthcare facilities. Such attacks constitute violations of international humanitarian law.

To help maintain essential health services, WHO has provided 284 generators to health facilities in 23 regions of Ukraine.

For 2026, WHO is appealing for $42 million to maintain funding for its work in Ukraine and protect access to healthcare for 700.000 people, the statement added.