The Red Cross has opened its role on Twitter. The aid organization emphasizes that it never assists in forced evacuations and that it acts impartially.
28.3. 19:39 • Updated March 28th. 21:09
The war launched by Russia has caused controversy between Ukraine and the Red Cross, an international aid organization.
Ukraine has asked the Red Cross not to open an office in Rostov-on-Don, Russia.
According to the news agency Reuters, Ukraine believes that the establishment of the office would justify “humanitarian corridors” to Russia and the forced relocation of Ukrainians to the country.
According to Russian media reports, the director of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer would have asked Russia to allow the establishment of an office in Rostov-on-Don.
Don Rostov is a city of more than a million inhabitants in southern Russia, quite close to the Ukrainian border.
The Ukrainian Parliament’s Committee on Public Health has asked the Red Cross to change its plans.
According to the Red Cross, it has no first-hand knowledge of forced transfers from Ukraine to Russia and does not assist in such operations.
According to it, the possible opening of an office in Rostov-on-Don is intended to meet humanitarian needs.
– Our purpose is to reach the victims of the armed conflict wherever they are and to help them, the aid organization says.
According to the news agency Reuters, Russia has camps in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, to accommodate people temporarily deported from the war zone.
Red Cross: False information has circulated about our activities
US channel According to CNN (switch to another service) Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Irina Vereschuk accused Maurer on Friday of making a “very questionable decision” to open an office in Rostov – on – Don.
Vereschuk also believes that the establishment of an office would justify forced relocations.
The International Committee of the Red Cross opened its role on Twitter over the weekend, apparently because of a debate over the issue.
According to the Red Cross, false information about its activities has circulated online.
The aid organization emphasizes that it does not currently have an office in Rostov-on-Don. Regional action will be expanded to provide assistance where needed.
In one of its tweets, the organization says it never assists in forced evacuations or transfers. This is true for Ukraine as well as for other countries.
The organization says it helped this month to allow those Ukrainians who wanted to leave the city of Sumy to get to the city of Lubny safely. Both cities are located in Ukraine.
The Red Cross emphasizes that it works impartially and helps everyone in need, regardless of location, but not involuntarily.
The Ukrainian government’s website was published on Sunday night bulletin (you switch to another service)in which Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereschuk notes that the establishment of the Red Cross office in Rostov – on – Don is not yet certain.
However, he believes that Russia is trying to exploit the Red Cross. According to Vereschuk, the image of the International Committee of the Red Cross is no longer “attractive”.
Ukraine also blames the forced relocation of children
Ukraine accuses Russia of forcible transfers.
According to Vereschuk, according to Ukrainian data, nearly 40,000 Ukrainians have been forcibly relocated to Russia, including many children.
Ukraine has made even higher estimates in the past. News agency AP has reported that the Ukrainian ombudsman Ludmila Denisovan according to 402,000 Ukrainians have been deported to Russia against their will.
Russia, for its part, said last week that it had “evacuated” hundreds of thousands of people from Ukraine since the war, which it called a special operation, began more than a month ago.
According to Ukraine, Russia has illegally displaced 15,000 civilians from Mariupol since the attack began.
British Broadcasting Corporation The BBC says (switching to another service)that, according to satellite images, Russia is housing about five thousand people in a temporary camp in Bezimenne, east of Mariupol.
The humanitarian situation in the Russian city of Mariupol has long been described as catastrophic.
* You can discuss the topic until Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at 11 p.m.