Ukraine: 3 WHO humanitarian warehouses destroyed in 3 months

In the past 3 months, 3 warehouses used by WHO in different regions of Ukraine have been destroyed by airstrikes, ruining essential medical supplies intended for frontline and hard-to-reach areas.

Early on Thursday, 3 September, an air attack in Kyiv region destroyed one of WHO's main warehouses storing humanitarian medical supplies. Access to the site remains restricted due to heavy smoke and safety concerns, while assessments of possible damage and stock losses are ongoing. No WHO personnel were affected.

The incident follows a double attack 2 weeks ago that completely destroyed a WHO humanitarian warehouse in Dnipro, resulting in the loss of half of the medical supplies and equipment intended to support an estimated 225 000 people living in frontline and hard-to-reach areas. Another warehouse used by WHO in Kyiv region was damaged during a large-scale wave of attacks on Kyiv city and the region in July.

"When humanitarian warehouses storing critical supplies are attacked, the impact goes far beyond the loss of buildings or equipment," said Dr Silviu Domente, WHO Representative to Ukraine. "It can delay or disrupt the delivery of essential health support to people who need it most. Right now, our teams are spending valuable time and resources moving supplies from site to site to keep them safe; time and resources that should go into delivering health care, not protecting it from attack. We are deeply concerned by the growing pattern of attacks on health in Ukraine, including on humanitarian storage facilities."

The attacks are part of a broader pattern affecting humanitarian operations across the country. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in 2026 so far, at least 20 attacks have affected warehouses storing humanitarian supplies. WHO has also verified 15 attacks on warehouses holding health-related supplies so far this year.

Despite these challenges, WHO continues to work with the Ministry of Health and health partners across Ukraine to ensure that essential medical supplies reach health facilities and communities in need. Alternative storage arrangements have already been identified following the latest incidents.

"We will continue to do everything we can to keep humanitarian health support moving across Ukraine. I also want to express my deepest gratitude to Ukraine's health-care workers, who continue to provide care to their communities with extraordinary courage and resilience, despite the enormous challenges they face every day," added Dr Domente.

WHO's immediate priority is to establish which supplies were damaged and determine how they can be replaced with the support of our partners.

In 2026 so far, WHO has supplied equipment and medical supplies to more than 300 health facilities across Ukraine, including primary health care centres, hospitals, laboratories and transit centres, reaching an estimated 3 million people.