On Thursday, three staff members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were killed and two others were wounded when shelling struck their aid distribution site in the Donetsk region.
The team was preparing to distribute essential supplies to vulnerable households in Viroliubivka village, north of Donetsk city, to help them prepare for the coming winter.
Aliyu Dawobe, Public Relations Officer for the ICRC, stated that the distribution had not yet started, and no local residents were harmed in the explosion.
ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric condemned the attack, saying, “It’s unconscionable that shelling would hit an aid distribution site. Our hearts are broken today as we mourn the loss of our colleagues and care for the injured. This tragedy unleashes a wave of grief all too familiar to those who have lost loved ones in armed conflict.”
The ICRC emphasized that their teams, clearly marked with the Red Cross emblem, are regularly present in the Donetsk region.
This incident is part of a troubling trend, with a significant increase in the number of humanitarian workers killed globally over the past two years.
The ICRC urgently calls for adherence to international humanitarian law and for all parties to take every possible precaution to protect humanitarian workers from being targeted or caught in hostilities.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) operates as a neutral, impartial, and independent organization, guided by the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It is dedicated to helping those affected by armed conflict and violence, striving to protect their lives and dignity and alleviate their suffering, often in partnership with Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations.