SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A Ukrainian woman holds her child as she arrives in Berdyszcze in Poland, after crossing the border from Ukraine. (Photo: UNICEF/Tom Remp)
Global Nurses Union Says 'Heinous' Russian Attacks on Hospitals Amount to War Crimes
Global Nurses United called on Russia to "choose an immediate ceasefire, ensure the safe passage of those displaced by the fighting, engage in diplomacy in good faith, and withdraw its forces from Ukraine."
Mar 16, 2022
An international nurses' union representing more than 2.5 million healthcare workers worldwide issued a statement late Tuesday accusing Russia of committing war crimes during its assault on Ukraine, a weeks-long military campaign that has included attacks on dozens of hospitals and other medical facilities.
"These heinous attacks constitute war crimes and must not pass as unfortunate events taking place in the fog of war."
"The latest such attack, the bombing of a maternity and children's hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, has left at least three dead, including a child, and many wounded," noted Global Nurses United (GNU), which forcefully condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine and expressed "solidarity with the nurses and other healthcare professionals of Ukraine who are struggling mightily to provide care during this unprovoked invasion."
The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented at least 31 attacks on Ukrainian healthcare facilities since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24. In a recent report, Amnesty International noted that "the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been marked by indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas and strikes on protected objects such as hospitals."
"These heinous attacks constitute war crimes and must not pass as unfortunate events taking place in the fog of war," GNU said Tuesday. "We fully support the WHO's statement that 'attacks on healthcare violate international law and endanger lives. Even in times of conflict, we must protect the sanctity and safety of healthcare, a fundamental human right.'"
"Nurses and healthcare workers confront trauma and uncertainty when providing care during the best of times, and now our sisters and brothers face targeted military strikes as they treat war casualties and others too sick to flee," the group continued. "In this war of choice, Global Nurses United calls upon the Russian government to choose an immediate ceasefire, ensure the safe passage of those displaced by the fighting, engage in diplomacy in good faith, and withdraw its forces from Ukraine."
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
An international nurses' union representing more than 2.5 million healthcare workers worldwide issued a statement late Tuesday accusing Russia of committing war crimes during its assault on Ukraine, a weeks-long military campaign that has included attacks on dozens of hospitals and other medical facilities.
"These heinous attacks constitute war crimes and must not pass as unfortunate events taking place in the fog of war."
"The latest such attack, the bombing of a maternity and children's hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, has left at least three dead, including a child, and many wounded," noted Global Nurses United (GNU), which forcefully condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine and expressed "solidarity with the nurses and other healthcare professionals of Ukraine who are struggling mightily to provide care during this unprovoked invasion."
The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented at least 31 attacks on Ukrainian healthcare facilities since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24. In a recent report, Amnesty International noted that "the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been marked by indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas and strikes on protected objects such as hospitals."
"These heinous attacks constitute war crimes and must not pass as unfortunate events taking place in the fog of war," GNU said Tuesday. "We fully support the WHO's statement that 'attacks on healthcare violate international law and endanger lives. Even in times of conflict, we must protect the sanctity and safety of healthcare, a fundamental human right.'"
"Nurses and healthcare workers confront trauma and uncertainty when providing care during the best of times, and now our sisters and brothers face targeted military strikes as they treat war casualties and others too sick to flee," the group continued. "In this war of choice, Global Nurses United calls upon the Russian government to choose an immediate ceasefire, ensure the safe passage of those displaced by the fighting, engage in diplomacy in good faith, and withdraw its forces from Ukraine."
An international nurses' union representing more than 2.5 million healthcare workers worldwide issued a statement late Tuesday accusing Russia of committing war crimes during its assault on Ukraine, a weeks-long military campaign that has included attacks on dozens of hospitals and other medical facilities.
"These heinous attacks constitute war crimes and must not pass as unfortunate events taking place in the fog of war."
"The latest such attack, the bombing of a maternity and children's hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, has left at least three dead, including a child, and many wounded," noted Global Nurses United (GNU), which forcefully condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine and expressed "solidarity with the nurses and other healthcare professionals of Ukraine who are struggling mightily to provide care during this unprovoked invasion."
The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented at least 31 attacks on Ukrainian healthcare facilities since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24. In a recent report, Amnesty International noted that "the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been marked by indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas and strikes on protected objects such as hospitals."
"These heinous attacks constitute war crimes and must not pass as unfortunate events taking place in the fog of war," GNU said Tuesday. "We fully support the WHO's statement that 'attacks on healthcare violate international law and endanger lives. Even in times of conflict, we must protect the sanctity and safety of healthcare, a fundamental human right.'"
"Nurses and healthcare workers confront trauma and uncertainty when providing care during the best of times, and now our sisters and brothers face targeted military strikes as they treat war casualties and others too sick to flee," the group continued. "In this war of choice, Global Nurses United calls upon the Russian government to choose an immediate ceasefire, ensure the safe passage of those displaced by the fighting, engage in diplomacy in good faith, and withdraw its forces from Ukraine."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.