RSS Feeds and Podcasts
20 August 2008
TBD
Red Cross is given go ahead to enter South Ossetia
20/08/2008
The International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC has been given the go ahead to enter the Georgian region of South Ossetia.
Personnel from ICRC were expected to reach the region by Wednesday afternoon. Patrick Maigua reports from Geneva.
ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger who has been visiting the region over the last three days said Russia supported the idea of the ICRC carrying out humanitarian work in South Ossestia. Mr Kellenberger said the ICRC had received a number of reports about people in South Ossetia in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. Speaking during a news conference in Geneva, Mr Kellenberger said it is not clear if other humanitarian groups including United Nations agencies will be allowed to enter South Ossetia.
"In the team we have a surgeon, we have a protection delegate, we have a water engineer and also a delegate on economic security. Their task now is to re-establish contacts with authorities and evaluate the situation in particular with regard to protection needs but also with regards to assistance. We want to have access to people deprived of their freedom. We want to help people reestablish family links, people who may have been isolated in villages who have no contacts with their families. We think there could be needs in some degree, medical support, water, but we have to assess"
Over the past one week, the ICRC has delivered more than 430 tones of food and other relief items into Georgia with a capacity to assist up to 25,000 displaced people. The latest estimates of displacement related to the conflict total more than 158,000 people. Patrick Maigua UN Radio Geneva.
(duration: 1'48")
Personnel from ICRC were expected to reach the region by Wednesday afternoon. Patrick Maigua reports from Geneva.
ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger who has been visiting the region over the last three days said Russia supported the idea of the ICRC carrying out humanitarian work in South Ossestia. Mr Kellenberger said the ICRC had received a number of reports about people in South Ossetia in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. Speaking during a news conference in Geneva, Mr Kellenberger said it is not clear if other humanitarian groups including United Nations agencies will be allowed to enter South Ossetia.
"In the team we have a surgeon, we have a protection delegate, we have a water engineer and also a delegate on economic security. Their task now is to re-establish contacts with authorities and evaluate the situation in particular with regard to protection needs but also with regards to assistance. We want to have access to people deprived of their freedom. We want to help people reestablish family links, people who may have been isolated in villages who have no contacts with their families. We think there could be needs in some degree, medical support, water, but we have to assess"
Over the past one week, the ICRC has delivered more than 430 tones of food and other relief items into Georgia with a capacity to assist up to 25,000 displaced people. The latest estimates of displacement related to the conflict total more than 158,000 people. Patrick Maigua UN Radio Geneva.
(duration: 1'48")