Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Mariupol steel works convoy: UN aids arrivals after journey 'from hell'

In Ukraine on Tuesday, UN humanitarians began to help the first evacuees arriving from Mariupol’s devastated Azovstal steel works, more than two months since Russia’s invasion began, and said that they would do everything possible to assist those still trapped.

“I'm relieved to confirm that the safe passage operation from Mariupol has been successful. “The people I traveled with told me heartbreaking stories of the hell they went through” tweeted Osnat Lubrani, the UN’s top aid official in Ukraine.

Lubrani noted that 101 civilians had been evacuated from the steel plant and other areas in Mariupol, in an operation which began on Friday, coordinated by the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in line with commitments made following the UN chief's recent visit to Moscow and Kiev.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said in a statement that he was pleased to receive news of the successful evacuation.

"I hope the continued coordination with Kiev and Moscow will lead to more humanitarian pauses that will allow civilians safe passage away from the fighting and aid to reach people where the needs are greatest."

UN aid coordination office, OCHA, also tweeted confirmation that the first evacuees had started to arrive a reception center in Zaporizhzhia, more than 200 miles north of Mariupol.

A tweet from OCHA on the ground confirmed the buses were on the move on Sunday, coordinated by the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and “parties to the conflict.”

Mercy dash


Ahead of the Azovstal steel plant arrivals at Zaporizhzhia reception center, Dr. Dorit Nizan, World Health Organization (WHO) Incident Manager for Ukraine, reported seeing many other civilians from towns and villages on the outskirts of western Mariupol.

“We are already receiving people, mainly mothers and children from Mariupol and its vicinity,” she said. “Cars are coming with volunteers from the region here, Zaporizhzhia, that are driving them from the contact line.”

Before the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, Mariupol’s population numbered around 500,000. Today, around 100,000 are believed to remain in the battered city, the WHO official said.

Although the majority of these arrivals had only minor injuries. which required medical care, mental health linked to the trauma of the war “is a big issue” which will require care and support in the longer term, the WHO official explained.

Fleeing the ‘contact line’


Since the start of the war, the UN health agency has delivered 382 tons of medical supplies to Ukraine, including 291 tons that have already reached beneficiaries. The agency has established hubs across the vast country, including in Lviv, Kiev, Dnipro, Donetsk and Luhansk.

“Many people left these regions because they are close to the contact line, and they are you know, under fight(ing) and shelling,” Dr. Nizan said. “But many of the health workers stayed to deliver, to help, and those that left are replaced by other health care workers that came from the other areas that were occupied.”

Latest data from the WHO indicates that there have been 186 attacks on healthcare in Ukraine since Feb. 24, causing 73 deaths and 52 injuries. Heavy weapons were responsible for the vast majority.

Complex and risky operation


According to news reports, the Russian bombardment of the steel plant resumed soon after the evacuation had left there, on Sunday, and Ukrainian authorities say that hundreds remain trapped there, while tens of thousands of civilians are trapped in other areas of the shattered city, unable to escape.

Briefing reporters based in New York, after having arrived with the convoy, Lubrani that she and the team had been making the evacuation arrangements for two days, prior to leaving, and confirmed that all the buses that had left the steel plant, had made it through to safety.

"This is a very complex and risky operation, so we couldn't prolong it, we couldn't just stay there. But we are ready to go back in."

She said that Russian forces had "screened" all the evacuees, who had been desperate to escape their underground bunkers after weeks, if not months, of being trapped underground. The UN and Red Cross personnel accompanying them had remained with the evacuees at all times during their hellish escape, she added.

Engagement between Russian and Ukrainian authorities and humanitarians including the UN and ICRC, "can be helpful, can be a bridge, to find a way to regularize some sort of safe passages, and pauses, that can save lives, and bring much needed assistance... That's what I hope we can do moving forward."

#ANT 
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
×