SYRIA: Red Cross aid workers are turned away from the Syrian city of Homs due to fighting

Record ID: 281258

  • Title: SYRIA: Red Cross aid workers are turned away from the Syrian city of Homs due to fighting
  • Date: 22nd June 2012
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (JUNE 21, 2012) (REUTERS) ( ** AUDIO DISRUPTION ON THIS STORY **) INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC) BUILDING SIGN FOR ICRC ICRC SYRIA SPOKESPERSON, RABAB AL-RIFAI, ENTERING THE ROOM AND LOOKING AT BOOK BOOK IN RIFAI'S HAND TITLE OF THE BOOK "KNOW THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS" (SOUNDBITE) (English) ICRC SYRIA SPOKESPERSON
  • Embargoed: 7th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA8MYOA8XF8G37GPEGEJJ0NPEIZ
  • Story Text: Aid workers were forced to turn back as they tried to enter the old city of Homs on Thursday (June 21) because of shooting, but planned to try again later in the day to evacuate the wounded and sick from the scene of some of the worst violence in the Syrian conflict.
    Government forces and rebels had both agreed on Wednesday (June 20) to a request by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for a truce to allow it to evacuate trapped civilians and the wounded after more than 10 days of intense fighting - but that ceasefire had apparently not yet taken effect.
    "To our knowledge, there are hundreds of people who are stuck in, for instance, the old city of Homs. Some maybe in other parts. That's to our understanding. These hundreds of people - many of them need to move to safer areas. They are unable to do so because of the ongoing fighting. So, for us, for the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, it is necessary that we have immediate access, that we have safe and unhindered access to these people in order to provide life saving humanitarian assistance," ICRC spokesperson for Syria, Rabab Al-Rifai, said.
    Hundreds of civilians are trapped in the old city area of Homs according to the ICRC which says that its evacuation operation will also focus on the neighbourhoods of al-Qarabis, al-Qusour, Jouret al-Shiyah and al-Khalidiya.
    "We requested a temporary humanitarian pause in the fighting. Now these things officially were accepted however we are looking at practical matters on the ground so why our teams were on the ground since yesterday," Rifai said.
    The Syrian army shelled central districts of Homs on Thursday, residents said.
    The ICRC and Red Crescent staff have remained in Homs city, the centre of the 15-month revolt against Assad. The government said on Tuesday it was trying to evacuate civilians and blamed rebel fighters for obstructing efforts to get people out safely.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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