Concern Mounting Over Welfare Of Civilians In Mali: ICRC

Tehran, Jan 21, IRNA - Central and northern Mali have been in the grip of crisis since early last year. Civilians continue to suffer the effects of the hostilities, which have entered a new phase in the past week. According to a news release issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), people are fleeing their homes in areas affected by the clashes, especially in central Mali. ˈOver 550 people have fled to Sévaré from the town of Konna and the surrounding area,” said Philippe Mbonyingongo, head of the ICRC sub-delegation in Mopti. “It seems that some of Konna’s inhabitants have escaped to the other side of the Niger river, while others have chosen to stay put.” There is acute concern about the fate of civilians who remain in Konna and Diabali. Currently unable to access either town, the ICRC and the Mali Red Cross will try to assess the need for humanitarian aid in villages on the edge of the conflict zones. ˈOur priority is to help those who’ve been displaced or wounded,ˈ said Jean-Nicolas Marti, head of the ICRC delegation for Mali and Niger. “We’ll also be closely monitoring the welfare of the civilian population and striving to ensure that wounded and captured combatants are spared.” In central and northern Mali, the organization is working closely with the Mali Red Cross and its volunteers. The ICRC has around 100 staff in Mopti, Gao, Kidal and Tombouctou. In neighboring countries, the ICRC and the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are closely monitoring the refugee situation, especially in Mauritania, Algeria and Burkina Faso./end