Red Cross speaks out for civilians in Azovstal on 55th day of Mariupol siege

Olena Roshchina – Sunday, 24 April 2022, 12:57

On the 55th day of the siege of Mariupol, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has spoken of the urgent need for a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol and stressed that ICRC workers are prepared to facilitate the safe exit of people from Azovstal as soon as there is agreement between the parties.

Source: ICRC press release on 24 April

According to the ICRC: "The ICRC is deeply troubled by the situation in Mariupol, whose citizens urgently require help. It is urgently necessary to ensure unhindered humanitarian access to create a safe exit from Mariupol, including from the territory of the Azovstal plant, where thousands civilians and hundreds of wounded remain."

Details: The International Committee stated that it has been working since the end of February to ensure that civilians in need, in Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities which they cannot leave, receive vitally needed aid.

It added that on multiple occasions the ICRC has called for the creation of opportunities for civilians to leave these areas, as well as to ensure humanitarian aid can be delivered there. The ICRC recalled the need to adhere to humanitarian principles under international humanitarian law.

According to the ICRC: "People have to pay a terrible price for every day, every hour that goes by.

As a neutral and unbiased mediator, the ICRC is prepared to help the parties to the conflict to reach agreement on practical and actionable questions relating to the voluntary evacuation of those in need.

Teams of our personnel are present on the ground to facilitate a safe exit [of civilians] as soon as such an agreement is reached and security guarantees are in place."

Background:

• Mariupol has been under siege by Russian troops since 27 February. The authorities estimate that as of 27 March, nearly 5,000 people had died in Mariupol, including about 210 children. It is currently impossible to count the exact number of victims. As of 12 April, civilian losses in Mariupol were estimated at 20,000-22,000 people.
• On 21 April President Vladimir Putin of Russia publicly asked Russian Minister of Defence Sergey Shoigu to stop the assault on the Azovstal plant in order to save the lives of Russian soldiers. Putin explained: "We don’t need to try and get into the dungeons, we just need to blockade the industrial zone of Azovstal so that not even a fly can get in."
• UK intelligence suggests that Putin might want to redeploy some of the Russian forces in Mariupol on another front, since Russian troops would incur significant losses in the continuation of the assault on the Azovstal plant. Ukrainian intelligence believes that Putin might deploy Russian Guards and Federal Security Service officers to continue the assault on Azovstal.
• On 24 April the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russian troops continue to fire on the Azovstal plant and to blockade Ukrainian troops there. In particular, Russia is carrying out air strikes on Azovstal.
• On 24 April Mykhailo Podoliak, Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, once again offered to conduct a "special round of talks" to allow Ukraine to retrieve its soldiers defending Mariupol. Sviatoslav Palamar, Deputy Commander of the Azov Regiment, said that Russian troops continue storming the positions of Ukrainian defence forces and has urged the world to do everything possible to free the people of Mariupol.