“I am relieved to confirm that the safe passage operation from Mariupol has been successful. “The people I’ve been with have told me heartbreaking stories of the hell they’ve been through.” Osnat Lubranitop UN aid official in Ukraine.
Ms. Lubrani note 101 civilians were evacuated from the steel plant and other areas in Mariupol, in an operation that began Friday, coordinated by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in line with commitments made after the recent Secretary-General visit to Moscow and Kyiv.
United Nations Office of Aid Coordination, OCHAalso tweeted to confirm that the first evacuees had begun arriving at a reception center in Zaporizhzhia, more than 200 miles north of Mariupol.
A tweet from OCHA on the ground confirmed that the buses were moved on Sunday, coordinated by the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and “parties to the conflict”.
Mercy dash
Dorit Nizan, World Health Organization (WHO) The incident manager for Ukraine, said they had seen many other civilians from towns and villages on the western outskirts of Mariupol.
“We are receiving many people, mainly mothers and children, from Mariupol and the surrounding area,” she said. “Vehicles are coming with volunteers from the area here, Zaporizhzhia, taking them off the lines of communication.”
Before the Russian invasion on 24 February, Mariupol’s population was around 500,000. Today, about 100,000 people are believed to remain in the devastated city, the WHO official said.
While the majority of those who arrive here have only minor injuries that require medical attention, war trauma-related mental health “is a big deal” that will require care and support over the long term. more, the WHO official explained.
Hiding from the ‘line of communication’
Since the start of the war, the United Nations health agency has delivered 382 tons of medical supplies to Ukraine, of which 291 tons have gone to beneficiaries. The agency has established centers across the vast country, including in Lviv, Kyiv, Dnipro, Donetsk and Luhansk.
“Many people have left these areas because they are close to the lines of communication, and you know, they are under fighting and shelling,” Dr. Nizan said. “But many of the medical staff stayed behind to deliver and help, and the rest were replaced by other medical workers from other areas that were already occupied.”
Latest data from WHO indicates that there have been 186 attacks on medical facilities in Ukraine since February 24, leaving 73 people dead and 52 injured. Heavy weapons are responsible for the majority.
