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Ukraine’s health care on the brink after hundreds of Russian attacks


Valentyna Mozgova sweeps shattered glass and other debris from the vacant halls of the bombed-out hospital where she began her career. Living in the basement, the 55-year-old lab technician now works as its solitary guard.

Russian artillery strikes targeted Marinskaya Central District Hospital in 2017 and again in 2021. But numerous barrages over the last seven months forced the hospital’s medical staff to flee, destroying key departments such as neurology and gynecology, as well as a general medical clinic in the process.

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Mozgova chose to stay. Having worked in the hospital’s laboratories since graduating from medical school in the late 1980s, she agreed to act as the hospital’s security guard for 10,000 hryvnia ($250) a month. She and her husband were soon joined in the basement shelter by five others who had lost their homes to bombing, a dog and a cat.

Mozgova picks up the broom at 8 a.m. sharp every three days to inspect the hallways, carefully avoiding the fragments of Russian Grad rockets strewn across the floors for fear of yet another explosion.

“Everything is decaying and falling apart,” she told The Associated Press. “But I’m so sick of it. I want to live my life normally, sleep in my bed, watch my TV, not jump at the sound of an explosion, go to work calmly and do my job.”

A year into Russia’s war in Ukraine, hundreds of attacks against the health care system have begun to take a toll. More than 700 attacks have targeted health care facilities and staff since the Feb. 24 Russian invasion, according to data verified by five organizations working inside Ukraine.

The World Health Organization has similarly documented more than 750 attacks and 101 deaths, and Ukraine’s health minister said recently that more than 1,200 facilities have been damaged either directly or indirectly, with 173 hospitals damaged beyond repair.

The report released Tuesday, which was shared in advance with the AP, said Russia has targeted the Ukrainian health care system “deliberately and indiscriminately” — an allegation that the organization said amounted to a war crime.

The attacks were at their most ferocious early in the war, according to the report, which found a total of 278 attacks in the last four days of February and all of March — an average of eight per day.

The report defines attacks not just as weapons strikes, but also threats aimed at forcing doctors to keep working in occupied territories, and incidents of theft in areas that Russian forces failed to hold on to.

In the city of Kherson, residents said retreating Russian forces took most of the ambulances with them. As they captured the city of Mariupol, the Russians took over the city’s last functioning hospital, days after a Russian airstrike devastated a maternity ward.

“Russian soldiers were on all the floors. They counted the patients, counted the employees, so that no one would leave. They said that if the doctors left, they would shoot,” Maryna Gorbach, a nurse from Mariupol Hospital No. 2, told the AP in an interview in December.

Gorbach, like most of the staff, managed to flee a few days later.

In Izium, explosives ripped through the main hospital’s walls in March, shredding its wiring and forcing doctors and patients into the basement.

“Before we went to the basement we covered our patients with mattresses because we thought they would protect patients from shrapnel,” said Dr. Yurii Kuznetsov, a trauma surgeon who for a time was the only doctor still at the hospital. At this point, three of the four floors are functional. Water drips from the roof. But patients have already seen how much repair has been accomplished.

For a year, AP journalists across Ukraine have also witnessed the result of attacks on hospitals, ambulances and medical staff firsthand.

“They follow specific patterns, and it is those patterns that are important, not even the number,” said Pavlo Kovtoniuk of the Ukrainian Health Care think tank, which was among the groups gathering data. “Because patterns mean that that most likely was a deliberate policy, not just a coincidence or separate events.”

Russia claims Ukraine has also hit hospitals in territory it occupies. But Kovtoniuk said there’s a vast difference between the huge number of systematic attacks recorded and what he described as accidents that happen in the course of a war for survival.

The international organization Physicians for Human Rights long documented Russian attacks on medical facilities in Syria and said the war in Ukraine indicated a continuation of that policy. The UK defense ministry said that Russian attacks on medical and educational facilities intensified in January.

The attacks show keen awareness of “the cascading effects that attacks on health have on the civilian population,” said Christian De Vos, director of research and investigation for Physicians for Human Rights, who contributed to the report. “It’s part of a destabilizing tactic to sow fear in the wider population.”

In the short term, attacks have forced many hospitals to shut down or sharply reduce services. In Izium, which was liberated by Ukrainian troops last fall, around 200 people from a staff of 500 have returned to work, and one of the damaged wings is operating again after repairs. At least one pharmacy has reopened as well, enabling people whose medication ran out during six months of occupation to be resupplied.

Ukraine had the second-highest number of HIV infections in Europe and Central Asia and one of the highest rates of drug-resistant tuberculosis. But since the invasion, the number of people being treated for these ailments has dropped precipitously. Drug quantities aren’t an issue thanks to a steady supply from donations. But it’s harder to follow-up or track new infections because of the mass displacement of Ukrainians within the country and across Europe.

Andriy Klepikov runs the Alliance for Public Health, an organization whose mobile clinics reach towns near the front lines. He worries about cases of tuberculosis or HIV that are going undiagnosed, but remains optimistic about his country’s capacity to overcome.

“The health system is (not about) walls or buildings or even equipment. It is about people,” he said. “The Ukrainian military are known for their strength and resilience, but in the area of public health, we are equally strong and resilient.”

Back in Krasnohorivka, a tank shell took out the signal for a Russian television show about the lives of doctors that Mozgova enjoyed. Despite the loss of what little made life comfortable for her, Mozgova said neither she nor her husband have any plans of permanently rejoining their adult children in the western city of Lviv, considered among the safest in Ukraine.

“They tell us to come and they have space, but what will I do? I’ll be a guest there. So I’ll be here as long as I have work. I’m trying to be useful here,” she said. “However good it was with my children and grandchildren I still think about this place because it’s my home.”

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Saudi Fund for Development Celebrates 50 Years of Global Impact with Over $20 Billion in Development Contributions

The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) celebrated its 50th anniversary in Riyadh today, under
the theme “50 Years of Global Impact.”The event brought together key development partners to
reflect on the SFD’s significant contributions to sustainable development worldwide. Over the
past five decades, the SFD has allocated over $20 billion, financing more than 800 development
projects and programs in vital sectors, including social infrastructure (education, healthcare,
water and sewage, and housing and urban development), communication and transportation
(roads, railways, airports and seaports), energy, agriculture, mining and industry, and others.
Since its inception in 1974, the SFD has been the international development arm of the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia and has provided critical support to over 100 developing nations around the
world. With a strong focus on supporting countries to achieve the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), the SFD has played a pivotal role in driving sustainable development in Least
Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
During the event, SFD Chairman H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb emphasized the importance of
collaboration in driving global development. He highlighted that SFD’s success is deeply rooted
in its partnerships, with 27 development projects and programs in 23 developing countries in
2023 co-financed with other funders. He also underscored the need to forge new partnerships and
strengthen existing ones to create a world where every individual has the opportunity to reach
their full potential.
Reflecting on this significant milestone, the SFD CEO , Mr. Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-
Marshad, stated: “As we celebrate five decades of impactful work, we are committed, now more
than ever, to supporting developing countries on their journey to economic self-reliance and
resilience. Our goal is to ensure that all children can go to school, that education is not a
privilege but something every child should have access to, and that families have access to
healthcare and basic vital services. Equally, we focus on critical infrastructure development, like
building roads and enhancing airports and sea ports, so that countries can thrive and engage in
economic activities and trade. This work is not just about financing; it’s about tangibly
improving lives, creating opportunities, empowering communities, and building a more
prosperous future.”
On the sidelines of the 50 th Anniversary Gala, the SFD and the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
signed a new $25 million agreement to co-finance a renewable energy development project in the
Solomon Islands. This marks the first project for SFD in the Solomon Islands. The primary aim

of the project is to develop renewable energy infrastructure, reduce dependency on fossil fuels,
and promote sustainable development in the region.
This agreement builds on SFD’50 years of transformative impact through development projects
that have spanned Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Eastern
Europe.
This includes key projects such as the Metolong Dam in Lesotho, which received $25 million in
funding and now provides potable water to 280,000 people, enhancing water security and public
hygiene and health in the region. This is just one of the 433 projects across Africa, with a total
funding of $11.5 billion, which focuses on critical areas such as infrastructure and water security.
In Asia, the SFD has funded 271 projects with a total funding of $7.8 billion. One notable
example is the SFD’s contribution to the Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project in Pakistan, which
has an overall project cost of $240 million. The projects contributes to the country’s energy
security and flood resilience by generating 800 megawatts of renewable energy and storing 1.6
million cubic meters of water.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the SFD has financed 21 projects, totaling $951 million
USD. This includes rehabilitating the Water and Sewage System in Havana, Cuba, where the
SFD has allocated $35 million to enhance public infrastructure. Another significant initiative is
the rebuilding of St. Jude Hospital in Saint Lucia, supported by $75 million funding, which will
contribute to providing high-quality health services to citizens in a modern and sophisticated
facility and providing sufficient medical supplies and equipment to support the effective
operation of the hospital.
In Eastern Europe, the SFD has contributed to 14 projects with a total investment of $303
million. A key initiative is the construction of the Tirana-Elbasan-Chokos-Chalf-Ploce Road,
where the SFD provided $73.8 million to rebuild essential roads and bridges, thereby boosting
regional economic activities.
During the celebration, esteemed speakers shared insights on the SFD’s pivotal role in global
development, and in championing critical partnerships and collective action and response.
Keynote speakers included:

 HRH Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud, Founder and Trustee of the King Faisal
Foundation
 H.E. Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SFD
 H.E. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group
 H.E. Muhammad Al Jasser, Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank

These global development leaders emphasized the SFD’s commitment to fostering sustainable
growth in countries and communities with the most pressing developmental needs. The gala was attended by more than 500 people, including ministers, heads of regional and international organizations, ambassadors, representatives of the United and other distinguished
guests. As the SFD looks to the future, it reaffirms its mission and pledge to drive international
development efforts, on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and to contribute to global
stability, social progress, and economic prosperity for future generations.

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Jordan warns of escalation in southern Lebanon

Jordan warned on Sunday of the increasing escalation in southern Lebanon and a potential regional war in light of the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza, Jordan News Agency (Petra) reported.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sufian Qudah discussed supporting Lebanon, its security, stability and the safety of its people and institutions, noting the need to adhere to Security Council Resolution 1701 to reduce and prevent further escalation and protect the region from the risk of slipping into a regional war.

Qudah added that the Israeli war on Gaza and the failure to reach an exchange agreement that leads to an immediate and permanent ceasefire puts the entire region at risk of the conflict expanding.

He discussed launching an effective international movement that imposes an immediate cessation of the aggression on Gaza.

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China’s Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and nine central departments have issued new guidelines for the coordinated transformation toward digital development and green growth, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Published on Saturday, the guidelines focus on two main areas: promoting the green, low-carbon development of digital industries and accelerating the green transformation of various sectors through digital technology.

They aim to accelerate the coordinated transformation toward digital development and green growth, promote the integration of emerging technologies with green, low-carbon industries, and enhance traditional industries using digital and green technologies.

Outlining fundamental principles, the guidelines specify the roles of authorities, industry associations, universities, research institutes and businesses in driving this transition.

They provide a three-part framework covering the basic capacity, technological systems and industrial systems for digital-green integration.

Regions are encouraged to focus on high-quality development, develop new quality productive forces, leverage local resources and create specialized industries and functional advantages to accelerate coordinated digital and green development.

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