SAMS condemns today’s hospital attack in Dnipro, Ukraine, that killed two and injured more than 20. According to WHO, there have been over 700 attacks on healthcare facilities and workers in Ukraine since the start of the war. SAMS calls for an end to these attacks not only in Ukraine, but also in Sudan, Syria, and elsewhere around the world. “There’s no place in war for attacks on innocent healthcare workers and patients,” said SAMS Executive Director David Lillie who visited Ukraine last week. “Yet we see today’s attack in Ukraine and horrible attacks on healthcare facilities in the current conflict in Sudan. This must stop and there must be accountability.” In Syria, where SAMS operates nearly 40 hospitals and clinics, Physicians for Human Rights has verified 600 attacks on medical facilities and personnel over the 12-year conflict. SAMS alone has lost over 40 staff to these attacks. SAMS calls on donor governments to encourage efforts to pursue criminal prosecutions for such attacks. Furthermore, SAMS calls on the UN to carry out investigations on attacks on healthcare to fully establish violations. And finally, SAMS joins all responsible actors in demanding that all warring parties fulfill their obligation to not target civilians, including healthcare systems, as provided for in international humanitarian law.
