An Attack On Healthcare Every 6 Hours, and No One Held to Account

Across the world, healthcare has suffered more than 10,000 attacks in the past eight years, including during the brutal conflict in Ukraine and efforts to contain the current Ebola outbreak spreading rapidly in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo).

Reports show that since 2018, there have been more than 10 400 attacks on health care in 29 countries and territories, killing some 5 700 people and injuring more than 8 000, with no one held accountable. In the first eight months of 2026 alone, WHO documented more than 900 such attacks, killing at least 900 and injuring 1 400. Most incidents occurred in Ukraine, Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territory, but other locations include Myanmar, Iran, Sudan, the DR Congo, South Sudan, Russia, Syria and Nigeria.

The attacks damage facilities, disrupt medical supplies and prevent patients and health workers from accessing care, with consequences lasting weeks or even longer. WHO says the attacks are not merely statistics but undermine entire health systems, yet none of the more than 10,000 verified incidents has entered an accountability system.