DID Press: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, has stressed in a recent statement that attacks on healthcare facilities and civilians cannot be justified with terms such as “miscalculation” or “collateral damage.”
He said: “Bombing a hospital or a school is not a ‘miscalculation.’ Killing an aid worker is not ‘collateral damage.’ Starving civilians is not a ‘negotiating tactic.’ These are war crimes. They must be called what they are.”
The remarks come amid growing international concern over the increasing number of attacks on medical facilities and civilians in conflict zones. Officials from the World Health Organization have repeatedly warned that targeting healthcare centers severely disrupts access to medical services and puts the lives of thousands of civilians at risk.
The organization has urged all parties involved in conflicts to respect international humanitarian law and refrain from attacking health facilities, medical personnel, and civilians.