UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says attacks on hospitals, doctors, ambulances, the wounded and sick took place in at least 20 conflict-affected countries last year.
Guterres told a Security Council meeting Thursday on health care in conflict that in most of the countries, "fragile medical systems were already at the breaking point" and in most cases no one was held accountable.
In Syria, he said the Physicians for Human Rights group documented over 400 attacks since 2013, with over 800 medical staff killed. He said that in Afghanistan, reported attacks on health facilities and personnel almost doubled from 2015 to 2016.
Guterres said "these attacks are evidence of a broader trend: Parties to conflict are treating hospitals and health clinics as targets, rather than respecting them as sanctuaries.
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