MADRID, 24 (EUROPE PRESS)
The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Peter Maurer, has ended his visit to Russia, where he spoke to various authorities in the country about the humanitarian needs related to the war in Ukraine.
Maurer stressed that the ICRC’s mission is to talk to the parties to the conflict – it already visited the Ukrainian capital Kyiv last week – and that the aim of its talks is to “save lives and reduce suffering during armed conflicts”.
The ICRC’s highest representative held talks in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin; Russian Red Cross President Pavel Savchuck and the country’s Commissioner for Human Rights Tatiana Moskalkova.
The ICRC has reported in a statement that during his visit to the Russian capital, Maurer highlighted the need to implement safe passages for citizens in conflict zones and the protection of people and civilian infrastructure.
The organization has emphasized the need to protect both the population and buildings from attack, particularly medical facilities, schools, and hydraulic and electrical infrastructure. “The principles of proportionality, discrimination and precaution must be followed and put into practice in military operations to limit civilian suffering,” they stressed.
On the other hand, he called for the dead to be treated with dignity and allowed to be repatriated, while ensuring that families know the whereabouts of loved ones sent to war. “All parties to the armed conflict have an obligation to facilitate and benefit from this important humanitarian activity,” they stressed in this context.
Finally, the ICRC has reported that it has delivered “more than 300 tons of relief supplies” in recent weeks, including kits for war wounded, hygiene and relief supplies for displaced people and about 2.5 tons of food.
In the Donbass region, more than a million people have been guaranteed access to water and more than 140 medical facilities have been supported since 2014, when conflict erupted in that part of Ukraine.