A Mariupol official confirmed on Friday that humanitarian aid is not reaching the city. Russian forces did not allow supplies to enter the besieged city, said an adviser to the mayor; and it remains very difficult for trapped residents to leave the city.
“The city remains closed at the entrance and it is very dangerous to leave with your own vehicle. Moreover, since yesterday, the (Russian) occupiers have categorically banned the entry of humanitarian aid, even the smallest, into the city,” said Petro Andriushchenko in a Telegram statement, according to CNN.
He added: “The reasons for such actions are not yet clear, but our predictions remain frustrated. We see no real desire from the Russians to allow Mariupol residents to evacuate Ukrainian-controlled territory.”
Earlier, Ukrainian Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said that some 100,000 civilians were trapped in the city, which has suffered weeks of bombing. Russian forces also blocked 45 buses heading to Mariupol on Thursday, he added.
Meanwhile, Kiev authorities reported that Putin's forces confiscated 14 tons of goods.
For its part, the International Red Cross said it has not yet been confirmed that the evacuation of Mariupol, in southern Ukraine, could take place this Friday, said a spokesman for the organization in Geneva.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) indicated that its field team has three vehicles and nine troops in Zaporiyia to head to Mariupol.
“There are many parties in action and not all the details are resolved to be sure that this will take place with adequate security (...) It is not yet clear whether it will be done today,” said Ewan Watson, ICRC spokesman in regular UN press contact.
“Our hope is that we can still begin the evacuation operation today. It's a very long road” between Zaporiyia and Mariupol, he said.
The distance is 226 kilometers and it takes more than three hours to travel under normal conditions, before the war broke out on February 24.
“The population desperately needs this safe passage,” he added.
At the moment, the ICRC is not allowed to bring aid to Mariupol, Watson said, noting that aid trucks are ready to head to the city as soon as the green light is given.
(With information from AFP)
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