2023-09-26 17:00:00
In a context where numerous families are making the decision to stay or leave and large-scale population movements are taking place, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) urges authorities to respect international humanitarian law and other applicable standards. .
Safe passage operations should be carried out only if the people themselves decide to leave. Members of the same family should not be separated against their will. Elderly people, those who are injured or ill or have a disability, pregnant women, separated or unaccompanied children should receive particular consideration.
The ICRC is ready to act as a neutral intermediary and facilitate safe passage operations provided that two conditions are met: the people must have freely made the decision to leave and the operation must be requested by the authorities and the corresponding arrangements must be agreed with them. modalities.
During this period, the ICRC’s main priority is to ensure the protection of people who leave and those who decide to stay; provide them with access to food, health care and other essential services, such as water, energy and heating; help maintain and restore contact between separated family members; and continue transporting the injured to receive the necessary care and ensuring dignified treatment of the deceased.
The humanitarian situation in the area remains precarious. Basic food and medicine are in short supply, and telecommunication services are disrupted, creating difficulties in maintaining contact with loved ones. Over the past week, the ICRC evacuated nearly 50 people with urgent medical needs and delivered 66 metric tons of wheat, medical supplies, 28,000 diapers and 1,500 liters of fuel for power generators at various medical centers.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate established in the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people affected by armed conflicts and other situations of violence around the world, doing everything possible to protect their lives and dignity, and to alleviate their suffering, often together with their Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
Media Contact(s):
Fatima Sator, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 79 848 4908, [email protected]
Ilaha Huseynova, CICR Baku, tel : +99450 316 00 24, [email protected]
Zara Amatuni, CICR Yerevan, phone: +374 99 011 360, [email protected]
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