Russian Public Chamber asks Red Cross to organise humanitarian corridors in Ukraine

MOSCOW, August 11 (Itar-Tass) - Russia’s Public Chamber asked president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, to assist in organising 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, there continue to die civil people, including children, women, disabled and elderly; continues shelling of civil facilities, like houses, schools, medical institutions; several settlements are in blockade and people there are doomed to exist in hunger and ruins.” The Russian Public Chamber is adamant the current situation “demands immediate organisation of humanitarian corridors to deliver material and food relief to those who need it, as well as to evacuate refugees from the conflict zone.” Official Kiev has been counteracting implementation of that task by using artificial reasons and claiming under the guise of humanitarian aid the Russian Federation was supplying arms and military equipment to Donbass and Lugansk. The Public Chamber has addressed several times the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to undertake organisation 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 the aid. “We believe it only reasonable if ICRC established on a permanent basis its mediatory mission in the Donetsk and Lugansk 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 and dozens people.” The Public Chamber confirmed it was ready to offer support to ICRC in its work in Ukraine’s south-east. Learn more on itar-tass.com