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ICRC ready to facilitate agreements on evacuation of civilians from Donbass combat zone

Parties to the conflict have the obligation to take all necessary precautions to spare civilians and essential infrastructure, ICRC head of delegation in Ukraine Pascal Hundt said

GENEVA, June 23. /TASS/. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is ready to facilitate agreements on the evacuation of civilians from the Donbass combat zone, ICRC head of delegation in Ukraine Pascal Hundt said in a statement.

"Parties to the conflict have the obligation to take all necessary precautions to spare civilians and essential infrastructure," he pointed out. "They should also find agreements to ensure safe passage for civilians to move to safer locations of their choice and to facilitate the delivery of much needed impartial humanitarian aid. The ICRC stands ready as a neutral intermediary to facilitate such agreements," Hundt added.

According to the committee, "since the beginning of May, ICRC teams have assisted over 900,000 vulnerable people with food, livelihood and cash assistance as well as hygiene material." "Medicines and equipment were provided to over 50 health structures to help treat some 58,000 people," the ICRC added. "In and around Severodonetsk, access has been particularly difficult due to the intensity of the fighting, creating immense suffering among civilians. Deliveries of food, water and medical supplies have become very challenging. Evacuations of civilians were proposed but did not take place due to an absence of agreement between the parties," the committee stressed.

Tensions escalated along the line of contact in Donbass on February 17. The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics reported the heaviest shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in months. On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the recognition of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics within the administrative borders of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions as they were at the beginning of 2014, based on the DPR and LPR constitutions. On February 24, Putin announced a special military operation based on a request from the heads of the Donbass republics.