Russia-Ukraine international armed conflict: ICRC delivers medical aid and essential assistance to Kherson and surrounding villages

A team from the International Committee of the Red Cross composed of medical personnel, water engineers and specialists on risks associated with explosive ordnance and mines delivered aid to Kherson on Tuesday and assessed the humanitarian situation.

“There are immense needs in Kherson, but we also saw incredible resilience from the people, volunteers and health professionals who have persevered through great difficulty and are facing very harsh conditions,” Stephan Sakalian, the head of the ICRC’s delegation in Ukraine, said during the visit.

The ICRC delivered to two hospitals enough medical supplies to treat 500 wounded patients and 2,000 patients in need for primary health care for 3 months, brought 600 food parcels and hygiene kits to a psychiatric hospital, assisted local water service providers with the donation of one water truck, and supported with 600 food parcels and hygiene kits our Ukrainian Red Cross partner currently engaged in helping the most vulnerable population.

The population of Kherson faces many other urgent challenges: restoring connectivity so people can communicate with their loved ones; repairing damaged power plants which have cut off heat and electricity for residents, and on which access to water and sewage treatment depends; and providing access to clean drinking water.

The team also met with the Kherson branch of the Ukrainian Red Cross as well as local authorities to better understand and address those most critical needs. These relationships are a crucial link between the ICRC and communities affected by hostilities.

The ICRC remains on the ground, committed to support the population in the city and in rural parts of the region where humanitarian needs are massive too.

For more information:

Jennifer Sparks, ICRC Geneva (English), +41792173200 jsparks@icrc.org 

Achille Després, ICRC Kyiv (English, French, Italian) +380 50 324 31 80, adespres@icrc.org 

Galina Balzamova, ICRC Moscow (English, Russian) +7 903 545 35 34, gbalzamova@icrc.org 

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B-Roll log list

00:00-00:52 Head of Delegation Stephan Sakalian

Today I’m in the city of Kerson together with an ICRC multi-disciplinary team.

We have two objectives. First and foremost is to deliver some emergency assistance to three different hospitals as well as to the branch of the Ukrainian Red Cross here who needs to replenish its stocks to be able to help the population.

And the second objective of our mission is to assess the humanitarian needs here.

The humanitarian needs seem to be many.

We’re hearing about problems of electricity. We’re hearing about problems with water. We’re hearing about problems with food and essential items.

But we’re also hearing about weapon contamination.

And that’s why we came not only with doctors and water engineers, but also with engineers specialized in explosive devices and mines to see how to ensure that people are safe in the city when we are providing humanitarian assistance.

00:52-00:58 ICRC team walking into facility

00:59-01:43 Stephan Sakalian speaks with local residents

01:43-03:23 Distribution of food, hygiene, and medical supplies

03:23-03:43 ICRC team speaks with local resident