International Committee of the Red Cross

Dec

2023

Attack on ICRC convoy in Sudan’s Khartoum kills two, injures seven

AN attack on a humanitarian convoy of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Sudanese capital Khartoum killed two people and injured seven, the ICRC said. The wounded included three ICRC staff members, the Red Cross added in a statement. "The humanitarian convoy, consisting of three ICRC vehicles and three buses, all clearly marked with the Red Cross emblem, was due to evacuate over a hundred vulnerable civilians from Khartoum to Wad Madani when it came under attack upon entering the evacuation area," the statement read. The ICRC said it is shocked and appalled by the attack, which…

Nov

2023

By NIDAL AL-MUGHRABI, MOHAMMED SALEM and JAMES MACKENZIE

Hamas, Israel release more hostages, prisoners in fifth day of Gaza truce

WORLD

HAMAS freed 12 more hostages and Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners on Tuesday, the fifth day of an extended six-day truce between the militant Palestinian group and Israel in the Gaza war. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the 12 hostages had been transferred from Gaza, and Israel's military confirmed that the 10 Israeli citizens and two foreign nationals were with its special forces on Israeli territory. The hostages were among some 240 people seized by Hamas gunmen during a rampage into southern Israel on October 7 in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed. Israel's bombardment…

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 ADAM MAKARY

Sudan’s war exacts deadly toll on dialysis patients, leaves bodies rotting

NEWS

KIDNEY dialysis patients are dying and dead bodies have been left to decompose in a morgue and in city streets as Sudan's war rages on, despite efforts by volunteers and aid workers to keep critical healthcare running. Sudan's health sector was already on the edge of collapse due to a lack of resources before the conflict, and it has been shattered by nearly two months of fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) across the country. More than 60 hospitals in conflict zones have been put out of service, and the 29 that are still operating are threatened by…

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…

Jun

2021

By The African Mirror

Red Cross chief urges Israel, Palestinians to end cycle of violence

WORLD

NIDAL AL-MUGHRABI THE head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has urged Israel and the Palestinians to find a political solution so violence like last month's hostilities over the Gaza Strip border might be prevented. On his first visit to Gaza in four years, Robert Mardini toured areas devasted by Israeli bombardments during the 11 days of fighting, including a road where 42 people were killed. "It is really heart-breaking to see and to hear about the people who paid the ultimate cost of this escalation - women, children, civilians who were living safely in their apartments…