Repeated attacks on humanitarian aid warehouses jeopardize vital medical aid in Ukraine: WHO

This is the third attack affecting a WHO-storage facilities used in the last three months.

“Yesterday, overnight, between September 3 and 4, airstrikes in the Kyiv region affected one of WHO’s main warehouses, which stores humanitarian medical needs and supplies.,” said WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier.

Speaking to journalists in Geneva, he explained that “Access to the site remains restricted due to heavy smoke and safety concerns, while assessments of possible damage and loss of stock are ongoing.”

No WHO personnel were affected, he said.

Health services have come under fire

The incident follows two other attacks on warehouses used by WHO in different regions of the country in the past three months, which contain critical medical supplies destined for people living on the frontline and hard-to-reach areas.

Two weeks ago, an attack destroyed a WHO humanitarian warehouse in Dnipro, resulting in the loss of half of the medical supplies and equipment intended to support some 225,000 people living on the front line and hard-to-reach areas, according to WHO.

“Another warehouse used by WHO in the Kyiv region was damaged in a massive wave of attacks in Kyiv and the surrounding region in July,” Mr. Lindmeier said.

A lifeline for civilians

Humanitarian medical supplies are a lifeline for people in need of healthcare on the frontlines and in hard-to-reach areas. A WHO spokesperson stressed that attacks on warehouses storing these supplies could delay or disrupt the delivery of critical health aid to the people who need it most.

The agency is increasingly concerned by the increasing pattern of attacks on humanitarian storage facilities across the country.

“The attacks are part of a broader pattern affecting humanitarian operations across the country. In 2026, at least 20 attacks have affected warehouses storing humanitarian supplies, including 15 attacks on warehouses storing health-related humanitarian supplies.”,” Mr. Lindmeier said.

He emphasized that the locations of UN and WHO facilities and warehouses are known to all parties to the conflict because these locations are communicated through established deconfliction arrangements.

“In my understanding, all warehouses, all UN locations, all WHO locations, there is no conflict. “That means its existence is communicated to all parties to the conflict, and it is widely known,” Mr. Lindmeier explained.

Commitment to deliver

Despite the attacks, WHO continues to work with health partners across Ukraine to ensure that critical medical supplies reach health facilities and communities in need. Following this latest incident, alternative storage arrangements have been identified, while efforts are underway to assess the damage and replace lost inventory.

By 2026, WHO’s overall humanitarian response will consist of providing equipment and supplies to more than 300 health care facilities, including primary care centers, hospitals, laboratories and transit centers, supporting health systems to reach three million beneficiaries.

Since Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, WHO has verified more than 3,000 attacks on health services including attacks on health facilities, ambulances, medical supplies and warehouses.