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STORY: GENEVA / WHO ATTACKS ON HEALTHCARE
TRT: 2:55
SOURCE: UNTV GENEVA
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 14 AUGUST 2026, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
14 AUGUST 2026, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Various shot, United Nations press briefing room
2. SOUNDBITE (English), ltaf Musani, Director of Humanitarian and Disaster Management at the World Health Organization (WHO):
“Through the World Health Organization’s Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care, more than 10,400 attacks have been reported across 29 countries and territories. This resulting in approximately 5,700 deaths and over 8,500 injuries. Between January and August, in 2026 alone, the World Health Organization’ has recorded more than 900 attacks. And again, resulting in more than 900 deaths and more than 1,400 injuries. This accounts for more than four attacks per day.”
3. Wide shot, United Nations press briefing room
5. SOUNDBITE (English), ltaf Musani, Director of Humanitarian and Disaster Management at the World Health Organization (WHO):
“In Sudan, 37 percent of facilities have been reported non-functional in 2026, while only three percent of assessed facilities had in-patient care. In Gaza, all 36 hospitals have been damaged, with only half remaining only partially functional, and the same is true with primary health care.”
6. Med shot, journalist asking question
5. SOUNDBITE (English), ltaf Musani, Director of Humanitarian and Disaster Management at the World Health Organization (WHO):
“And (in) the Democratic Republic of Congo, during the Ebola virus outbreak response, twelve attacks have been verified since the declaration of the outbreak, in May 2026. These attacks have disrupted surveillance, case investigation, contact-tracing, treatment and community engagement, and show how undermining, not only the availability of health systems that are needed at the time as such, but also further affecting the capacity to detect and contain this outbreak.”
7. Various shots, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English), ltaf Musani, Director of Humanitarian and Disaster Management at the World Health Organization (WHO):
“We need to ask: how many services have been disrupted? How many patients could not access health care? How many treatments, surgeries and referrals have been delayed? How long will this last, as health care tries to rebuild? And ultimately, what outcome will this have on people's health and well-being? This is not a question of simply better data. It is a question of making the human consequence visible and using the evidence to protect health care and the people who depend on it, as well as holding parties to the conflict accountable. Our Director-General has repeatedly called and appealed for that health care is not a target.”
9. Various shots, UN press briefing room
ltaf Musani, Director of Humanitarian and Disaster Management at the World Health Organization (WHO), said “through the World Health Organization’s Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care, more than 10,400 attacks have been reported across 29 countries and territories. This resulting in approximately 5,700 deaths and over 8,500 injuries. Between January and August, in 2026 alone, the World Health Organization’ has recorded more than 900 attacks. And again, resulting in more than 900 deaths and more than 1,400 injuries. This accounts for more than four attacks per day.”
Speaking to reporters during the United Nations press briefing in Geneva, he gave a geographical breakdown of attacks on health care, describing, “in Sudan, 37 percent of facilities have been reported non-functional in 2026, while only three percent of assessed facilities had in-patient care. In Gaza, all 36 hospitals have been damaged, with only half remaining only partially functional, and the same is true with primary health care.”
Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Musani explained, “during the Ebola virus outbreak response, twelve attacks have been verified since the declaration of the outbreak, in May 2026. These attacks have disrupted surveillance, case investigation, contact-tracing, treatment and community engagement, and show how undermining, not only the availability of health systems that are needed at the time as such, but also further affecting the capacity to detect and contain this outbreak.”
The Director concluded with a call for action: “We need to ask: how many services have been disrupted? How many patients could not access health care? How many treatments, surgeries and referrals have been delayed? How long will this last, as health care tries to rebuild? And ultimately, what outcome will this have on people's health and well-being? This is not a question of simply better data. It is a question of making the human consequence visible and using the evidence to protect health care and the people who depend on it, as well as holding parties to the conflict accountable. Our Director-General has repeatedly called and appealed for that health care is not a target.”
