ICRC, IFRC Jointly Appeal For 250 Million Swiss Francs For Humanitarian Assistance In Ukraine

GENEVA, March 2 (Bernama) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has jointly appealed for 250 million Swiss francs (US$273 million) to provide humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainians affected by the ongoing conflict in the country. The two international humanitarian bodies said the assistance was important as the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and neighbouring countries was deteriorating rapidly, with those affected desperately in need of food and shelter. ICRC Director-General Robert Mardini said ICRC was appealing for 150 million Swiss francs (US$163 million) for its 2022 operations in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, adding that the escalating conflict in Ukraine was taking a devastating toll, where casualty figures kept rising while health facilities struggled to cope. “We already see long-term disruptions in regular water and electricity supplies. People calling our hotline in Ukraine are desperately in need of food and shelter. To respond to this massive emergency, our teams must be able to operate safely to access those in need,” he said in the statement jointly issued by ICRC and IFRC which was made available to Bernama. In the coming weeks, the ICRC will increase its work reuniting separated families, providing food and other household items to the internally displaced, increasing awareness about areas contaminated by unexploded ordnance. IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain said that IFRC was appealing for 100 million Swiss francs (US$109 million) to support National Red Cross Societies to assist an initial two million people in need due to intensified hostilities in Ukraine. Among these groups, a special focus will be on vulnerable people, including unaccompanied minors, single women with children, elderly, and people with disabilities. “In the middle of so much suffering, it is heart-warming to see the level of global solidarity. The needs of the people affected by the conflict are increasing by the hour. The situation is very desperate for many. A rapid response is needed to save lives,” he added. Meanwhile, international medical humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders, is working on setting up emergency response activities in Ukraine. MSF in a statement said it was also dispatching teams to Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia to assess the needs of people crossing borders and respond to humanitarian needs. "Teams are also present in Belarus and Russia ready to provide humanitarian assistance," the statement read. In Ukraine, MSF teams have distributed war-wounded kits in Mariupol and provided telemedicine training for trauma care for 30 surgeons from eastern Ukraine. Its emergency teams have arrived at the Polish-Ukrainian border and are currently trying to get essential staff and supplies into Ukraine and set up emergency response activities across both sides of the border. Teams would also carry out assessments along Ukraine’s border with Russia and Belarus, said MSF. "With active fighting ongoing, determining the true extent of medical needs in Ukraine remains challenging. MSF is preparing for a range of scenarios, which will allow us to step up our response," it said. MSF said its teams at the Ukraine-Poland border checkpoints saw people cross over on foot, in cars and on buses, many tired and exhausted, and some with children as young as 25 days old. "Many of those crossing the Polish border told us they spent long hours in queues in freezing temperatures. Some were dehydrated and others suffered from hypothermia," it said. MSF has donated basic shelter items to a reception shelter in Poland and is working to step up its response. On Feb 24, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine. According to United Nations (UN) figures, at least 136 civilians in Ukraine have been killed, including 13 children, and 400 others injured, including 26 children, Around 660,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries, the international body said Tuesday. -- BERNAMA