UN health officials say it is critical that they be granted immediate access to Mariupol and other areas hardest hit by fighting in eastern Ukraine, Voice of America reports..

They claim that almost all medical facilities and hospitals in such regions are either damaged or destroyed..

WHO calls for access to affected areas to assess health system needs and provide life-saving medical services to the sick and injured. WHO spokesman Bhanu Bhatnagar, who is currently in Lviv, said that WHO has still not been able to access those in need of medical assistance in Mariupol. He also admitted that he had no information about the state of health of the population in the regions blocked by Russian invaders..

Bhatnagar said the WHO is sending aid needed in Mariupol closer to the city. But he added that it is very important that secure access be arranged as soon as possible..

“We need a cessation of hostilities for at least two days to bring in vital supplies and to assess health needs,” he said.. - We expect the worst. The health care system is broken and this entails all sorts of consequences.. There are injured people who need help."

Bhatnagar noted that there are also people with chronic diseases and other health care needs who do not have access to life-saving medicines.. He said the results of a new WHO survey of 1,000 households across Ukraine show the devastating impact war is having on their access to health care..

" - Of these, one in three have difficulty accessing health care due to their chronic illness. Our survey also shows that the war affects the behavior of people seeking health care, with less than a third of households saying they were able to access health services.”.

Bhatnagar added that 39% of those surveyed say that the security situation prevents them from seeking medical care, while 27% say there are no medical services at all in their area..

WHO confirms 162 attacks on medical facilities and personnel, killing at least 73 people.

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Mariupol was subjected to ruthless bombing and shelling by Russian troops for two months. The city is almost wiped off the face of the earth. Tens of thousands of people live in underground shelters with limited supplies of food, water and medicine..