Humanitarian situation in Ukraine worsens as hostilities reach major cities, ICRC says

MADRID, 22 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has revealed this Wednesday that the humanitarian situation in Ukraine is only going downhill as hostilities reach large population centers of the European country, such as the large cities of the east.

Specifically, the organization has highlighted the ongoing hostilities in towns such as Severodonetsk and Lisichansk, Ukraine's last bastions in the Lugansk region, as well as in other relevant cities such as Donetsk and Kharkov. In these areas, key infrastructure has been damaged or completely destroyed by the fighting.

"People's lives are in danger and many lack access to life-saving services. Many of those who remain are elderly and the most vulnerable, including people with chronic diseases ... who no longer have access to their treatments ", lamented the ICRC in a statement.

On this point, the head of the ICRC delegation in Ukraine, Pascal Hundt, reminded both parties to the conflict that they are obliged to take "all necessary precautions to protect civilians and essential infrastructure", while which has invited them to agree on humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians and the delivery of essential aid to areas in need.

"The ICRC is ready as a neutral intermediary to facilitate such agreements," Hundt asserted, stressing the importance of protecting hospitals and schools, as well as water and electricity facilities.

On the other hand, the ICRC has highlighted that, despite the "difficult security conditions in the cities" of Ukraine, it has carried out protection and assistance operations in the country, helping "more than 900,000 vulnerable people".

These basic supplies are not just food, livelihoods or hygiene items, but aid has also been provided to state-owned companies supplying water and other vital supplies.

Specifically, since the beginning of May the ICRC has reinforced its presence in the Donetsk region, while in recent weeks it has done the same in the city of Severodonetsk, located in the Lugansk region, and where Ukrainian troops have been seen surrounded by the Russians.

In this last locality, humanitarian assistance has been "particularly difficult due to the intensity of the fighting", which has generated "immense suffering" in the civilian population of the place. In this city, evacuations of civilians have also been proposed, which, finally, have not materialized due to the lack of agreements between the parties.

In the Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Kherson and Mikolaiv regions, among other parts of the Ukrainian geography, the ICRC has shown its support for the branches of the Ukrainian Red Cross to maintain deliveries of food and water to particularly vulnerable groups, and distributes food and hygiene supplies near the front lines.