DPR citizens driving a car in Donetsk regionGENEVA, Mar 4The Director General of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, spoke about the devastating humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine and called on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians from hostilities. «We are witnessing a devastating humanitarian crisis unfold in Ukraine. Today, the ICRC strongly reminds the parties the need to comply with their legal obligations to avoid further suffering and loss of civilian life,» Maurer said in a statement released on Friday.In Russia, medical care for refugees from Donbass is provided free of charge. According to him, the Geneva Conventions and the First Additional Protocol to them are fully applicable to what is happening in Ukraine. “Therefore, the parties to this conflict must abide by the set of rules they have adopted to protect people during the conflict. This means shielding the civilian population from hostilities. They must also immediately provide safe passage for people fleeing hostilities,” Maurer said. He added that the parties to the conflict should promote the identification and dignified treatment of the dead, as well as the return of the remains of the dead. Maurer noted that the ICRC could act as a neutral intermediary. Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on 24 February. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.» According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the Armed Forces strike only at the military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops, nothing threatens the civilian population. Development of the situation in the online report >>
The UN counted the number of Ukrainian refugees over the past week
