International Committee of the Red Cross has urged both Russia and Ukraine to allow safe passage for civilians. This request came after today’s attempt to start evacuation of an estimated 200,000 people had failed.
Red Cross further made a statement that “The failed attempts underscore the absence of a detailed and functioning agreement between parties to the conflict.” They further said “We are not and cannot be the guarantor of a ceasefire agreement between the parties or of its implementation. As a neutral and impartial humanitarian intermediary, we’ve been facilitating dialogue between the parties on the safe passage of civilians. Civilians need safety.”
Here are some demands by Red Cross:
*Specific time, locations, and evacuation routes
*Who may be voluntarily evacuated
*Whether aid can be brought in, not just the evacuation of civilians out.
ICRC also stated that today, their team began opening up the evacuation route from Mariupol before hostilities resumed. They said, “We remain in Mariupol and are ready to help facilitate further attempts – if the parties reach an agreement, which is for them alone to implement and respect.”
