WHO urges international organisations to increase financial aid to Ukraine

The World Health Organization has called on international donors to provide additional funds for the health sector in Ukraine, which has been hit hard by the Russian invasion, Hans Kluge, head of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, has said, Reuters reports.

We aim to cover 13.6 million people this year, which is why we have increased our appeal for 2023 to $240 million - $160 million for Ukraine and $80 million for the refugee host countries," he said.

He also drew attention to the fact that additional aid is needed to take care of the mental health of Ukrainians, as well as money is needed for post-traumatic rehabilitation and organizing affordable medical care.

Kluge drew attention to the fact that almost 10 million people in or out of Ukraine may now have mental health problems.

He informed that there had already been 780 attacks on the healthcare system since the war began. At the same time, he noted that Ukrainians, as well as healthcare workers, were showing "amazing resilience".

Kluge added that a WHO study showed that 10 per cent of Ukrainians have difficulties with access to medicines, including due to damaged or destroyed pharmacies and a lack of medical supplies.