April 16, 2024

Athens News

News in English from Greece

Critical situation in Mariupol, Red Cross sends alarm messages

The situation in Mariupol is called a humanitarian catastrophe. The International Red Cross calls for an immediate solution to the problem:

“Time is running out for hundreds of thousands of people stuck in Mariupol. They are living a real nightmare. They can’t hold on anymore. We urgently call for a humanitarian agreement. People need security. People need food. And they need it now. In Mariupol, everyone is now facing an extreme or a complete lack of basic necessities. No food. No water. No medicine. It becomes impossible to survive.”

Satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies (USA) show significant damage to civilian infrastructure and residential buildings throughout the city. The international humanitarian organization says:

“People are risking their lives by making short runs in a desperate search for any food and water they can find. Including our personnel. The corpses of civilians and combatants remain under the rubble or lie in the open air. “.

The Russian side comments on what is happening, presenting its version, reports euronews. Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the National Defense Control Center of the Russian Federation, states:

“A grave humanitarian situation has developed in Mariupol. Hundreds of thousands of people, including foreigners, are forcibly held by nationalists who, threatening physical violence, stop any attempts to leave the city.”

In turn, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, in his video message on Sunday, accuses the Russians of not allowing humanitarian aid to be delivered to the besieged Mariupol:

“We have already evacuated almost 125,000 people to a safe territory along humanitarian corridors. The main task today is Mariupol. Our humanitarian aid convoy is a two-hour drive from Mariupol. Only 80 km are left. We are doing everything to resist the invaders, who are blocking even the Orthodox priests accompanying this help: food, water and medicines. Ukraine sent 100 tons of the most necessary to its citizens.”

Our publication reported that Consul of Greece continues to be in the besieged Mariupol, for security reasons he closed himself in the OSCE shelter in the midst of hostilities in the destroyed city. Over the past 24 hours, Mariupol has been especially hard hit, fighting unfolded within the city. Among the civilians who were never able to get out with the help of humanitarian corridors, there are Greeks, as well as the Greek consul Manolis Androulakis. The Mariupol Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement:

“Greece, as repeatedly emphasized, advocates the creation of humanitarian corridors from the cities of Ukraine, in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross, in order to ensure the supply of the civilian population, as well as the possibility of their movement to safer areas. For our part, we continue to watch with great concern the dramatic events, especially in the Mariupol region, where the Greek element has lived for centuries and Consul General Manolis Androulakis is still present. We call on everyone to respect humanitarian law and avoid attacks on civilians. Greece is making every effort in this direction.”



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