According to Mego Terzian, the president of the NGO, “it would be very hard to organize the evacuations of tens of thousands of people in the space of a few hours” while the conditions are very difficult on the spot.
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“We hope for a long-term ceasefire”, reacted Wednesday March 30 on franceinfo the president of Doctors without borders, Mego Terzian, after the announcement by Russia of a ceasefire Thursday in the city of Mariupol, within the framework of the war in Ukraine. He wishes “secure access for humanitarian aid in the city” and “a safe evacuation of civilians”. “I hope there will be a lot of people coming out if the buses really go through.” According to different estimates, 150,000 civilians survive in the besieged Ukrainian port.
According to Mego Terzian, it will take more than 24 hours to evacuate the civilians, “given the road conditions in the city”. “We have information that the roads are mined. It would be very difficult to organize the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in the space of a few hours.” It also describes a situation “dramatic” in Mariupol. “People are looking for water in the radiators, there are no more medicines, corpses everywhere in the streets”
“The most important thing is that the two belligerents agree on the safe passage of civilian populations from Mariupol to Zaporizhia.“, considers the president of Doctors without borders who “fear everything in this very violent war”. According to him, this evacuation operation announced “is very political”. “France, but also Turkey and Greece, which usually do not collaborate on humanitarian affairs, will participate in this evacuation. For me, all these acts are therefore political.” He still hopes that if this operation takes place on Thursday, it “may trigger humanitarian operations elsewhere”.