WHO chief condemns Afghan hospital attack, says he was 'shocked and appalled'

World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros ham Ghebreyesus on Wednesday said that he was 'shocked and appalled' to hear of attack on a maternity hospital in Afghanistan on Tuesday that killed at least 24, including two newborn babies. Tedros also reiterated United Nations' call for a global ceasefire and urged all stakeholders to put aside politics and prioritise peace in order to defeat COVID-19 pandemic that is currently raging havoc across world. 

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Tedros in a statement released on WHO website said, "As world celebrated nurses, I was shocked and appalled to hear of attack on an MSF hospital in Afghanistan, which led to deaths of nurses, mors, and babies. Civilians and health workers should never be a target and as my colleague and dear friend Mike Ryan said last week, weaponisation of health is t helping anywhere. We need health and peace. We need peace for health and health for peace. And we need it w!"

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Kabul hospital attack

attack that took place at a Kabul maternity hospital on Tuesday killed 24 people, majority of whom were women who h just given birth or were in process of delivery. According to reports, gunmen rampd through hospital shooting indiscriminately at anyone in ir way, targetting mostly mors and babies. Afghan deputy minister of health, Wahid Majrooh, who was one of first people to enter hospital after attack said that 18 newborn babies were left morless and ded that he was still in shock. 

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Majrooh said that y are used to seeing de bodies in Afghanistan but this is something that h never happened before, specifically targetting mors and babies. According to reports, gunmen directly went to maternity wards as soon as y entered hospital building and started shooting mors and babies. As per reports, a mor of one was killed while delivering ar baby, including her unborn child. 

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(Im Credit: AP)