Zelensky warns of World War Three, WHO speaks out about Ukraine’s health

“The outcome of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is still undecided, but it is possible that it has opened the way to a large-scale global war. I understand my US counterpart Joe Biden’s concerns about not escalating tensions or provoking Russia,” Zelensky said.

“No one knows whether World War Three has happened or not. And how likely will this war be, in the event that Ukraine falls. We saw this 80 years ago, when World War Two broke out… No one can predict when a full-scale war will begin,” the Ukrainian leader added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo: AP

When asked if he believes the US will intervene in the war if the Russian military crosses “red lines” with the use of chemical weapons, Zelensky said that Moscow has long since done so. . “If they intentionally launch missiles at schools and kindergartens, then it must be an act of crossing the line,” Zelensky said.

Meanwhile, World Health Organization (WHO) leaders said on March 16 that military attacks on health systems “have become part of war tactics and strategy”.

“This issue is much more important than bricks or mortars. This is not about the destruction of those buildings. It is the destruction of hope. Families can be cared for if they are sick, treated if they are injured. It is a basic human right. But right now we can’t send support to the people, because attacks on healthcare facilities mean they’re being targeted,” said Dr. Mike Ryan, CEO. The WHO Health Emergencies Program told CNN about the situation in Ukraine.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on the same day that there have been at least 89 attacks on health care systems worldwide since the start of this year, 43 of which have occurred in Ukraine. “More than 300 medical facilities are located along the lines of conflict or in areas controlled by Russia. We condemn all attacks on medical facilities, regardless of where the attack occurred,” Tedros said.

Elsewhere, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released preliminary figures on how many people took shelter in the Drama Theater in the port city of Mariupol, before it was attacked by the Russian military. March 16th.

“As far as we know, we do not rule out the possibility that there is a Ukrainian military target in the area around the theater, and we know that before the strike it was home to at least 500 civilians,” HRW researcher Belkis Wille told Al Jazeera news agency.

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Tuan Tran