SWITZERLAND: INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS CALLS FOR CALM TO RETURN TO IRAQI TOWNS AND CITIES

Record ID: 860942

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS CALLS FOR CALM TO RETURN TO IRAQI TOWNS AND CITIES
  • Date: 3rd August 2003
  • Summary: (EU) GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (APRIL 11, 2003)(REUTERS) SLV EXTERIOR INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS HEADQUARTERS LAS ICRC FLAG MV ICRC PRESIDENT JAKOB KELLENBERGER ENTERING; SLV MEDIA (3 SHOTS) (SOUNDBITE)(English) JAKOB KELLENBERGER SAYING "Our main obligations are to secure the environment, to create a safe environment and to protect the essential infrastructures such as hospital infrastructures, water infrastructures and other infrastructures which are important for providing a key public services." SLV NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) KELLENBERGER, SAYING "Our staff in Iraq, they note the humanitarian consequences of a very chaotic situation in Baghdad and in other parts of Iraq. The humanitarian consequences are very serious indeed." MV NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) KELLENBERGER (ABOUT COALITION PRISONERS ICRC ACCESS), SAYING "It's very difficult, it has become very difficult to get in touch with the structures of authorities on the Iraqi side. I can only tell you at the moment that the ICRC will continue its efforts, strong efforts as it has in the past to get this access." MV JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) KELLENBERGER, SAYING "We had to suffer the lost of an excellent colleague, a very courageous colleague in Baghdad and I know that you, you also had to suffer losses among journalists who have also worked with a lot of courage in a very difficult context, and I wanted to take this opportunity to pay tribute to all of them." MV MEMORIAL FOR VATCHE ARSLANIAN, THE RED CROSS WORKER FROM CANADA WHO WAS KILLED IN CROSSFIRE IN BAGHDAD SCU STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF ARSLANIAN
  • Embargoed: 18th August 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
  • City:
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA5P594RT193M3A20SSXYR7XBG7
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: The International Committee of the Red Cross has made a call for calm to return Iraq's town and cities.
    The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called on Friday (April 11, 2003), for the protection of the Iraqi civilian population and services and of those no longer fighting in Iraq.
    The ICRC added that it doubted any hospital in Baghdad was still working because of chaos on the city's streets.
    "Our main obligations are to secure the environment, to create a safe environment and to protect the essential infrastructures such as hospital infrastructures, water infrastructures and other infrastructures which are important for providing a key public services," ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger said.
    The Red Cross has warned U.S. forces that they are obliged under the Geneva Conventions governing the rules of war to keep order in areas under their control, and that they had to ensure the security of the Iraqi civilian population.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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