DRC: WHO Report Highlights Zero Accountability for Healthcare Attacks

• Over 10,000 attacks on healthcare have occurred globally in the past eight years, including during the DRC Ebola outbreak and Ukraine conflict.
• Since 2018, more than 10,400 attacks across 29 countries have resulted in approximately 5,700 deaths and over 8,000 injuries, with no one held accountable.
• Between January and August this year, the WHO recorded over 900 attacks, causing at least 900 deaths and more than 1,400 injuries, at a rate exceeding four per day.
• Attacks have wide-ranging consequences, including significant drops in outpatient consultations, non-functional facilities, and disruptions to essential services like those responding to the DRC Ebola outbreak.
• The WHO highlights that these incidents sow fear, prevent people from seeking care, deter health professionals, and dilute community trust, underscoring the critical need for accountability.

Despite the widespread nature and severe consequences of these incidents, a critical issue highlighted by the WHO report on DRC healthcare and global trends is the complete lack of accountability, as no perpetrators have been held responsible to date.

Healthcare facilities, personnel, and patients worldwide have endured a staggering number of attacks over the past eight years, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting over 10,000 such incidents. This alarming trend includes assaults occurring amidst the conflict in Ukraine and during efforts to contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The UN agency, which maintains a dedicated surveillance system for violence against healthcare, has consistently emphasized that this critical sector must remain protected from targeting.

Since 2018, the WHO's monitoring system has documented more than 10,400 attacks across 29 countries and territories. These acts of violence have led to approximately 5,700 deaths and over 8,000 injuries. Despite the widespread nature and severe consequences of these incidents, a critical issue highlighted by the WHO report on DRC healthcare and global trends is the complete lack of accountability, as no perpetrators have been held responsible to date.

The first eight months of this year alone saw a significant escalation, with the WHO recording more than 900 attacks, resulting in at least 900 deaths and over 1,400 injuries—a rate exceeding four attacks daily. While the majority of these incidents occurred in Ukraine, Lebanon, and the occupied Palestinian territory, other affected regions included Myanmar, Iran, Sudan, the DRC, South Sudan, Russia, Syria, and Nigeria. Altaf Musani, WHO Director for Humanitarian and Disaster Management, noted in Geneva that these events represent "multiple forms of violence," with heavy weapons being the most frequently reported means of attack in 2026, followed by the destruction of healthcare infrastructure and psychosocial violence. Additionally, 44 incidents involving the abduction, arrest, or detainment of healthcare workers and patients were reported, affecting 94 individuals, predominantly healthcare staff.

The impact of these attacks extends far beyond the immediate casualties and physical damage, creating a ripple effect that cripples public health systems. As Musani explained, an assault on a hospital not only harms those present but also prevents future patients from receiving care, halts ambulance referrals, deters healthcare workers from returning to their duties, and disrupts vital medicine supply chains to facilities.

Empirical evidence underscores these long-ranging consequences. A study examining 69 attacks in northwest Syria revealed a 51 percent drop in outpatient consultations the day after an incident, with this reduction persisting for up to 37 days. In Sudan, 37 percent of facilities were reported non-functional in 2026, and only three percent of assessed facilities could provide inpatient care. Similarly, all 36 hospitals in Gaza have sustained damage, with only half remaining partially operational, and primary healthcare services severely impacted.

The scale of disruption is also evident in other conflict zones. Since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, the WHO has verified over 3,000 attacks affecting health facilities, ambulances, warehouses, and supply chains. Crucially for the Democratic Republic of Congo, 12 attacks on healthcare have been verified since the current Ebola outbreak was declared in May, significantly disrupting the critical public health response and exacerbating the challenges faced by communities already vulnerable to disease.

The persistent failure to hold perpetrators accountable for violence against healthcare in the DRC and other conflict zones represents a profound challenge to international humanitarian law. The WHO's comprehensive data, which details thousands of attacks and thousands of deaths and injuries, starkly highlights that despite the clear prohibitions against targeting medical services, these acts continue with impunity. This lack of enforcement undermines the foundational principles designed to protect civilians and essential services during times of crisis.

This ongoing impunity for DRC healthcare attacks accountability issues is not merely a statistical anomaly; it reflects a systemic breakdown in the protection mechanisms intended to safeguard public health. The WHO's call for the critical sector not to be targeted remains unheeded, as evidenced by the consistent pattern of assaults. Without robust legal and judicial processes to prosecute those responsible, the cycle of violence against healthcare personnel and infrastructure is likely to persist, further endangering vulnerable populations and those dedicated to their care.

Musani emphasized that these are not merely statistics; behind every percentage lies a patient, behind every damaged facility a lost service, and behind every interrupted service, someone deprived of healthcare. The human toll extends beyond physical harm and service disruption, profoundly impacting community trust and public health behaviors. Attacks on healthcare sow widespread fear, deterring individuals from seeking necessary medical attention and preventing health professionals from performing their duties.

This erosion of trust, coupled with the direct damage to infrastructure and personnel, creates a long-term public health crisis. When communities fear accessing medical care or when healthcare workers are too afraid to report for duty, the capacity to manage outbreaks, provide routine care, and respond to emergencies is severely compromised. The WHO advocates for making these human consequences visible, leveraging evidence to strengthen the protection of healthcare and rebuild the trust essential for effective public health interventions.

Lawyers and compliance officers in the DRC, particularly those advising humanitarian organizations or public health bodies, should note the documented lack of accountability for attacks on healthcare. This highlights ongoing operational risks and the need to review security protocols, enhance incident documentation, and consider advocacy for stronger enforcement of international humanitarian law to protect personnel and facilities.

Source: Original reporting via World Health Organization