MOSCOW, August 11, 12:36 /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Public Chamber has asked the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, to assist in organizing humanitarian corridors in Ukraine’s south-east, where a military operation continues.
“On behalf of the Russian Federation’s Public Chamber, which expresses a consolidated position of the institutes of the Russian civil society, I would like to focus your attention on the continuing escalation of the humanitarian and ecological crises in south-eastern Ukraine,” the Chamber’s addressed signed by its head Alexander Brechalov read. “As a result of violations of all norms of international humanitarian law, civilians continue to die there, including children, women, disabled and elderly; shelling of civil facilities, like houses, schools, medical institutions, continues; several settlements are blocked and people there are doomed to dwell in hunger and ruins.”
The Russian Public Chamber is confident that the current situation “demands immediate organization of humanitarian corridors to deliver material and food relief to those who need it, as well as to evacuate refugees from the conflict zone.”
The Public Chamber has addressed the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) several times to undertake organization of humanitarian corridors in Ukraine’s south-east, that is to send to the conflict zone its representatives to escort humanitarian convoys along their routes and to manage distribution of aid.
“We believe it only reasonable if ICRC established on a permanent basis its mediatory mission in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” the address read. “We are sure ICRC’s exceptional role is in making most transparent and effective the process of humanitarian aid to the civil people in the conflict zone, thus saving thousands of lives.”
The Public Chamber confirmed it was ready to offer support to ICRC in its work in Ukraine’s south-east.