Attacks on healthcare in conflict zones averaging more than four a day in 2026: WHO

Attacks on healthcare facilities, workers and patients in conflict zones including Ukraine and Gaza have continued to rise in 2026, reaching an average of more than four per day, the World Health Organization said on Friday.

There have been more than 900 attacks between January and August this year, resulting in at least 900 deaths and more than 1,400 injuries, according to WHO data presented in Geneva by Altaf Musani, the agency's director of humanitarian and disaster management.

Ukraine, Lebanon and ⁠the occupied Palestinian territory account for the largest share of reported incidents, although attacks have also been recorded in countries including Iran, Sudan, Myanmar, Syria, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Musani said.

"What we are witnessing are multiple forms of violence," Musani said, citing the use of heavy weapons, destruction of health facilities and the detention or abduction of healthcare workers and patients. During this period 94 healthcare workers have been detained.


Reuters