Reference :
V-F-CR-F-03348-N(2)
Date :
03/05/2022
Title :
Ukraine : civilians leave Azovstal in safe passage operation, saying "I was afraid to sleep"
Duration :
00:03:51
Editor :
unknown
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
reserved users only
Production company :
ICRC
ICRC producer :
unknown
Description :
Several dozen civilians left the Azovstal plant area in Mariupol during a five-day safe passage operation coordinated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the parties to the conflict and the United Nations.
A convoy of buses and ambulances accompanied by ICRC and UN teams was joined by families and individuals in private vehicles along the way. More than 100 people, including some who were wounded, reached Zaporizhzhia on Tuesday May 3rd, 2022.
Gregory Brissonneau, a member of the ICRC team that led the convoy, was one of the first persons to help those leaving the Azovstal plant. He recalls the scene: “You can imagine when they went out of the plant. It was two months they had not seen the sky. They did not know what was happening outside, they did not know who we were, where they were going to go. They were under shock; they were asking if we are going to be able to also release the other civilians stuck in Azovstal plant and some were asking for medical care as well.”
Alina Kuzitskaia joined the convoy on its way to Zaporizhzhia and gives a heart wrenching account of her experience over recent weeks. “I was in Mariupol from the very beginning of the war. We spent 40 days in the basement. I had to escape from the multistory building because they were shaking too much. I was afraid to sleep in my flat. We managed to get out yesterday. We left towards Manhush. We saw an advertisement saying that evacuation has officially started.“
Over the past two months, the ICRC has facilitated several safe passage operations. It is always a relief to see people able to leave areas affected by the hostilities, but more needs to be done and the ICRC will not spare any effort to alleviate the immense suffering of civilians trapped in hostilities.
The ICRC has been working for the people affected by the conflict in Ukraine since 2014. Our operations in the country are among the ten largest ICRC operations worldwide. Working closely with the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, we provide emergency assistance such as food, water, and other essential items. Our emergency health response has reached 145,000 people, across 75 health facilities in Ukraine. This includes medical supplies, treatment, evacuations and the deployment of 50 medical personnel who are delivering assistance and training across Ukraine. We support authorities to repair essential infrastructure, provide cash assistance to vulnerable people affected by conflict and help people who lost contact with their loved ones, among other activities.
English title :
Ukraine : civilians leave Azovstal in safe passage operation, saying "I was afraid to sleep"
Colour/B&W :
colour
SD/HD :
HD
Resolution :
1920 x 1080
Aspect ratio :
16/9
Original material/format :
H264
Best material/format available :
ProRes 422
To obtain other languages or formats, please contact us
