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Syria: halt in fighting essential to allow humanitarian relief
24-02-2012 News Footage Ref. V F CR-F-01096-A
The International Committee of the Red Cross believes that the humanitarian situation in Homs and other cities affected by fighting is deteriorating. "People are in a desperate situation - they need water, food, access to medical care, some are seriously injured, " says ICRC spokesperson , Carla Haddad
Footage available from the ICRC Video Newsroom (www.icrcvideonewsroom.org)
TV news footage transmitted on Eurovision News 23.02.12
For more information, please contact Jan Powell, ICRC, Geneva, e-mail
Geneva (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) believes that the humanitarian situation in Homs and other cities affected by fighting is deteriorating. "People are in a desperate situation - they need water, food, access to medical care, some are seriously injured, " says ICRC spokesperson , Carla Haddad.
The ICRC is calling on all sides to agree to a halt in the fighting for two hours each day to allow humanitarian assistance in. The Geneva based organisation is negotiating with the Syrian authorities and with the opposition to try to get agreement to this daily pause in the fighting. " What we want is an immediate halt in the fighting so we can access Homs and the other affected areas to deliver much needed humanitarian aid," says Carla Haddad.
In February, Syrian Arab Red Crescent and ICRC teams have managed to provide humanitarian aid to the cities of Homs, Bludan, Al Zabadani and Madaya (Rural Damascus). But in the last few days, needs have rapidly increased. The security situation has deteriorated so badly that it is impossible to provide the humanitarian aid people desperately need.
Interview: Carla Haddad, ICRC (English)
00:00 We're very worried about the situation in Homs and in the other affected areas. From what we know it is deteriorating and the ICRC has asked for a two hour pause daily so our teams and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers can access these areas and deliver much needed humanitarian aid.
00:18 The situation is very difficult on the ground. People are in a desperate situation - they need water, food ,access to medical care some are seriously injured, We need to be able to access the different areas including Homs to be able to help them out.
00:35 The ICRC is in touch with all the different sides which can have an influence on the situation and on the fighting in Syria. We've been in touch with the Syrian authorities but we've also been in touch with the opposition abroad . We're trying to reach out to the opposition members in Syria . The idea is to be able to continue this dialogue with all those who can have an influence on the ground.
00:57 Q: Are you seeing progress?
00:59 It is very difficult to speculate – what we want is an immediate halt in the fighting so we can access Homs and the other affected areas to deliver much needed humanitarian aid.
01:11 GVs ICRC building Geneva
01:21 ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Saleh Dabbakeh, ICRC Damascus, tel: +963 993 700 847 or +963 11 331 0476
Hicham Hassan, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 2541 or +41 79 536 92 57
Carla Haddad Mardini, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 24 05 or +41 79 217 32 26
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