Swiss Red Cross director warns humanitarian situation could worsen in Ukraine

SRC Director does not rule out deterioration in Ukraine Keystone-SDA

The Director of the Swiss Red Cross (SRC), Nora Kronig Romero, has not ruled out a worsening of the situation with regard to the current negotiations in the Ukraine war. This makes international humanitarian law all the more important, she said in an interview.

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“If something happens politically, a lot can happen again militarily – that could mean additional victims,” said Kronig Romero in an interview with the newspaper Blick that was initially published online.

The political discussions at the international level give some sign of how the situation could evolve. The SRC director hoped for an improvement, but did not rule out a deterioration. This makes it all the more important to respect international humanitarian law, she said. The rules for the protection of the civilian population must also be observed during war. The SRC welcomes all steps towards a ceasefire. On the ground in Ukraine, however, Kronig Romero feels great scepticism as to whether this will really happen.

Return uncertain

Due to the uncertain situation, she believes that a rapid return of the Ukrainian refugees from Switzerland is currently unrealistic. The psychological dimension of security should also not be underestimated, said Kronig Romero. The SRC projects in the west of the country show that there is a stress factor even in regions that appear safe at first glance.

Representatives of the US and Ukraine held the first talks of the latest round of negotiations on a possible end to the war in Ukraine in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Sunday afternoon. The talks were “constructive and informative”, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umjerov wrote on Facebook in the evening after the talks had concluded. Meetings between the US mediators and the Russian delegation are scheduled for Monday morning.

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

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