The UN humanitarian chief urged all parties on Thursday to provide safe passage for civilians out of the besieged port city of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine, following the announcement that two aid workers and their families were killed.
“I am deeply saddened by the death of at least two aid workers, along with five of their relatives, during an attack that hit the office of the non-governmental organization Caritas in Mariupol on 15 March. The events took place nearly a month ago, but the information is only available now,” Martin Griffiths, Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement.
Griffiths went on to “call on the parties to the conflict to urgently agree on clear arrangements for the safe passage of civilians out of areas where their lives are at risk, as well as the safe, rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance to areas where civilians are facing catastrophic levels of need, especially in areas that have been or remain besieged.”
On Tuesday, the head of Caritas Internationalis expressed shock and horror upon learning of the death of two employees of Caritas Ukraine Mariupol.
“We unite in mourning and solidarity with the plight of families and our colleagues at Caritas Ukraine who are experiencing a tragedy,” said Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis, Aloysius John, in a statement.
John added that Caritas Ukraine’s national office is still investigating the incident, adding that it likely took place on March 15, when “a tank fired into the Caritas center building in Mariupol, killing two employees and five of their relatives. At this time, due to the lack of communication with the city of Mariupol, as well as the lack of access to the Caritas center facilities, our Caritas Ukraine national office is still collecting information to determine what happened. It is presumed that the two Caritas employees, together with their families, took refuge in the center during the artillery attack.”
THE CNN failed to independently confirm last month’s incident.
Source: CNN Brasil
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