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Red Cross demands unrestricted access to migrants on Belarusian-EU border for humanitarian aid
GENEVA. Nov 18 (Interfax) – All migrants on the Belarusian-Polish border, regardless of their legal status, should have effective access to humanitarian and medical assistance and enjoy protection, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement released on Thursday.
"To protect people’s lives, health and dignity, as well as ease suffering and prevent further tragedy, all Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners and other humanitarian organizations need immediate, unrestricted access to all migrants, including at borders," the statement said.
The IFRC and the ICRC "are alarmed by the tragedy unfolding at the borders between Belarus, Poland and Lithuania," the statement said.
"At least 10 people are known to have died, including a 14-year-old boy due to hypothermia. The situation is set to worsen with the most serious winter weather yet to arrive," it said.
"IFRC has allocated more than 1 million Swiss Francs to Belarus Red Cross, Polish Red Cross and Lithuanian Red Cross, whose volunteers and staff are assisting thousands of vulnerable people with food, water, blankets and vital medical assistance," the statement said.
"There are extremely vulnerable people at the border, including people with disabilities, pregnant women, and hundreds of children – many of them without a parent or family member. They have been sleeping rough in freezing conditions for many days now," the document said.
"Our volunteers have been able to provide some assistance, but many are still hungry and cold. These are mothers, sisters, sons and daughters, people whose lives matter, and they should be protected and treated with compassion and dignity," Birgitte Ebbesen, IFRC Regional Director for Europe, was quoted as saying in the statement.
