ICRC - The African Mirror

Nov

2023

Hamas releases 24 hostages on first day of Gaza truce

HAMAS fighters released 24 hostages during the first day of the war's first truce, including Israeli women and children and Thai farm workers, after guns fell silent across the Gaza Strip for the first time in seven weeks. The hostages were transferred out of Gaza and handed over to Egyptian authorities at the Rafah border crossing, accompanied by eight staff members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in a four-car convoy, the ICRC said. Qatar, which acted as a mediator for the truce deal, said 13 Israelis had been released, some with dual nationalities, plus 10 Thais…

Jun

2023

By The African Mirror

ICRC says 125 detained Sudanese soldiers released

NEWS

THE International Committee of the Red Cross said it had facilitated the release of 125 Sudanese soldiers held by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group that has been fighting Sudanese forces since April. The soldiers' release, which occurred on Wednesday, followed a request by the parties to the conflict, ICRC said. "We stand ready to act as a neutral intermediary for the release of detainees from all sides of the conflict whenever requested," Jean-Christophe Sandoz, ICRC's head of delegation in Sudan, said in a statement. The war between Sudan's army and the RSF has caused a major humanitarian…

Jun

2023

By The African Mirror

Children evacuated from orphanage where dozens died in Sudan’s capital

NEWS

ABOUT 300 children have been evacuated from an orphanage in Sudan's capital Khartoum where dozens of orphans were found last month to have died since mid-April due to nearby fighting between rival military factions. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which facilitated the evacuation late on Wednesday, said the children aged between 1 and 15 had been taken to a safer location in Wad Madani, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) southeast of Khartoum. The ICRC said in its initial statement that 280 children and 70 caretakers had been evacuated, and an ICRC spokesperson said the number of evacuated children had…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

2 red cross workers abducted in Mali

NEWS

TWO workers for the International Committee of the Red Cross have been kidnapped in northern Mali, the ICRC in Mali said on Twitter. It said the abductions took place between the northern cities of Gao and Kidal - long a hotspot for jihadist and militia violence. "We confirm the kidnapping of 02 of our colleagues this morning ... We ask for no speculation about the incident so as not to hinder its resolution," the ICRC in Mali said. It did not disclose the names or nationalities of those kidnapped. Mali has faced instability since 2012 when Islamists hijacked an ethnic…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Red Cross: Hospitals in Ethiopia’s Tigray region struggle to deliver care

NEWS

IMPROVED security in Ethiopia's Tigray region since a November ceasefire has allowed aid to reach some previously inaccessible areas, but humanitarian needs remain urgent, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said. A two-year war that broke out in November 2020 between the federal government and forces led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the party that dominates the region, killed tens of thousands of people, created famine-like conditions for hundreds of thousands, and displaced millions. The government and Tigray forces agreed to end the hostilities in November, which has allowed additional aid to reach the region and for some…

Apr

2022

By The African Mirror

Hunger in Africa surges due to conflict, climate and food prices

NEWS

AYENAT MERSIE CONFLICT, climate change and rising food and fuel prices are pushing about a quarter of Africans towards hunger, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said. About 346 million people in Africa are facing severe food insecurity, meaning they have likely experienced hunger, in the worst crisis since 2017. Last year, the figure was about 286 million. "The acute food insecurity situation in many of the countries where we are working - and people are already affected by armed conflict - is tipping into famine-like conditions," said Dominik Stillhart, ICRC's global operations director. Two years of conflict…

Mar

2022

By The African Mirror

Evacuation of Ukraine’s Mariupol fails again, stranding civilians under siege

WORLD

AN attempt to evacuate residents from the besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol collapsed for a second day, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said, blaming an insufficiently clear agreement between the two sides. "Amid devastating scenes of human suffering in Mariupol, a second attempt today to start evacuating an estimated 200,000 people out of the city came to a halt," the ICRC said in a statement. Days of heavy bombardment have left residents of the coastal city trapped without heat, power and water. The city had about 400,000 inhabitants before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Nigerian police pledge Red Cross training nationwide protests continue

NEWS

LIBBY GEORGE and TIFE OWOLABI THE International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will help train Nigeria's new tactical force as thousands nationwide continue to march against police brutality and in demand of further reforms, Nigeria's police inspector general has said. Protests began roughly two weeks ago demanding the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), which was accused by Nigerians and groups such as Amnesty International of extortion, brutality and torture. The police force has repeatedly denied the accusations against SARS, though it said earlier this month that "unruly and unprofessional" officers had been arrested and were facing disciplinary…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Libya’s humanitarian crisis deepens, talks needed – Red Cross says

HUMAN RIGHTS

STEPHANIE NEBEHAY LIBYA’S' humanitarian crisis is worsening, compounded by the halt of oil operations, blockade of ports, and spread of COVID-19, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday. ICRC President Peter Maurer voiced hope that a flurry of diplomatic activity, including a visit earlier this week by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, would restart a political peace process. Maurer spoke on return from the divided North African country where he held separate talks with Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, head of the internationally-recognised government, and General Khalifa Haftar, whose eastern-based forces launched an assault…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Fear, rumours lead to hundreds of attacks on COVID-19 responders

NEWS

NELLIE PEYTON HEALTHCARE workers fighting coronavirus in dozens of countries are facing violence from fearful communities who have attacked doctors and burned down clinics, aid agencies said on Tuesday. In Colombia, ambulances were blocked from entering a town to screen for COVID-19 cases, said the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which recorded 611 incidents targeting health workers, patients and facilities from February to July. In South Africa, a testing station and a clinic were torched by people who did not want responders in their neighbourhood, said medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). "It's a byproduct of the new,…