The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross said it has recorded 208 COVID-19-related attacks against health workers and installations in 13 countries since March, a striking contrast to the cheers and clapping in gratitude for their work in many nations.
Peter Maurer said Wednesday that health workers are being attacked and abused and health systems are being targeted at a time when they are most needed.
“The COVID-19 crisis is fast threatening to become a protection crisis,” he told the UN Security Council.
Maurer told reporters the ICRC compiled data from 13 countries in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Africa where it operates, and it’s “likely the actual numbers are much higher than what we calculated.”
He said the incidents range from verbal threats to burning down facilities reportedly housing COVID-19 patients.