Red Cross still trying to reach besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol after detained team released

By Peter Kenny

GENEVA (AA) - The Red Cross is still trying to reach Mariupol after one of its teams was stopped and held by Russian authorities trying to get to the besieged Ukrainian city to facilitate safe passage for trapped civilians, an official statement said.

"The International Committee of the Red Cross team that was held by police in Manhush on Monday was released last night," the ICRC said in a statement.

A three-vehicle Red Cross convoy with nine people was stopped some 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Zaporizhzhia (northwest of Mariupol) at Manhush.

The team’s release is “of great relief to us and their families," said the statement.

The team is focused now on continuing the humanitarian evacuation operation to provide relief for many thousands of people still trapped in the city.

Russian attackers have encircled and bombarded Mariupol since they invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

"This incident yesterday shows how volatile and complex the operation to facilitate safe passage around Mariupol has been for our team, who have been trying to reach the city since Friday," said the statement.

Humanitarian groups have been unable to reach Mariupol since Russian forces began bombing the city after the start of its war on Feb. 24.

ICRC spokesman Ewan Watson told journalists Friday that allowing people to leave and letting aid supplies in is a humanitarian imperative.

- Weeks of heavy fighting

"The people of Mariupol have suffered weeks of heavy fighting, with dwindling water, food, and medical supplies. Piecing together the safe passage convoy has been and remains extremely complex," said Liz Throssell, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office.

She added, on the Red Cross team that was held up, that “people should not be detained under any circumstances; that they should be treated humanely, and I'm sure it's very concerning for the ICRC with respect to what may have happened to their colleagues."

The IOM, meanwhile, said that more than 7.1 million people have been internally displaced since the invasion of Ukraine.

"This represents a 10% increase in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine since the first round of the survey on 16 March," said the IOM, adding that the data covers up until April 1.

"People continue to flee their homes because of war, and the humanitarian needs on the ground continue to soar," said IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino.

“Humanitarian corridors are urgently needed to allow the safe evacuation of civilians and ensure the safe transportation and delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid to rapidly assist those internally displaced."

According to the survey, more than 50% of displaced households have children, 57% include elderly members, and 30% have people with chronic illnesses.