The Red Cross cannot reach Mariupol

Red Cross

The Red Cross cannot reach Mariupol.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it was unable to reach the Black Sea port and will try again to evacuate civilians on Saturday.

“A team from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that was heading to Mariupol to facilitate the safe passage of civilians had to return to Zaporizhia as the terms and conditions made it impossible to continue.”

“For the operation to be successful, it is critical that the parties respect the agreements and provide the necessary conditions and security guarantees,” the statement said.

“If and when the safe passage operation takes place, the ICRC’s role as a neutral mediator would be to escort the convoy from Mariupol to another city in Ukraine,” the ICRC announced.

It is understood that 170 thousand people remain trapped in Mariupol, which has faced Russian aggression in Ukraine as the conflict continues.