Local resident Pavel, 42, stands next to the grave of his friend Igor, who was killed by shelling during a joint car ride during the conflict between Ukraine and Russia in a residential area in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine March 30, 2022. REUTERS /Alexander Ermochenko/File Photo
LVIV, Ukraine/GENEVA, March 31 – A convoy of Ukrainian buses set off towards the southern port city of Mariupol on Thursday in an attempt to deliver humanitarian supplies and bring out civilians, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk and the Red Cross said .
Vereshchuk said 45 buses were on their way to Mariupol after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed that Russia had agreed to open a safe corridor. Continue reading
In Geneva, the ICRC said its convoy was en route to the besieged city, but called on both sides to agree on the exact conditions for the safe passage of civilians.
“For logistical and safety reasons, we stand ready to manage safe passage tomorrow, Friday, provided all parties agree on the precise terms, including route, start time and duration,” said ICRC spokesman Ewan Watson.
“It is extremely important that this operation takes place. The lives of tens of thousands of people in Mariupol depend on it,” he said.
ICRC director-general Robert Mardini, in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, urged Ukraine and Russia to agree on safe evacuation of civilians from Mariupol and other frontline areas where vital supplies are running short. Continue reading
To date, the ICRC has carried out two evacuations of civilians from the north-eastern city of Sumy in the five-week conflict. Continue reading
Mariupol’s mayor said this week that up to 170,000 residents are trapped there without power and dwindling supplies.
“There are 45 buses on the way to Mariupol,” Vereshchuk said in a statement on Thursday.
The city, which normally has a population of more than 400,000, was a strategic focus of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and was bombed almost constantly.
Repeated attempts to organize safe corridors have failed, with each side blaming the other. Russia denies targeting civilians in its attack on Ukraine.
Reporting by Pavel Polityuk in Lemberg and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Edited by Timothy Heritage and Janet Lawrence