The International Committee of the Red Cross criticized for its desire for neutrality in Ukraine

The Radio France reporters present on the ground in Ukraine confirm it: the ICRC, the International Committee of the Red Cross is strongly criticized by the Ukrainians, pointed out for its desire to also work with Moscow. Since March 27, a petition has been launched in Ukraine, in the form of a letter of inquiry to the head of the ICRC, Peter Maurer. More than 3,600 people have signed this text, including several Ukrainian leaders. The Human Rights Committee of the Kyiv Parliament also issued a highly critical statement.

What set the powder on fire was Peter Maurer’s trip to Moscow on March 23 to meet the head of Russian diplomacy Sergei Lavrov. The photo of the handshake of the two men made the rounds on social media. And since the criticisms rain. The ICRC is criticized by the Ukrainians for wanting to open an office in Rostov on the Don, on the Russian side of the border. To legitimize and accompany the displacement, even “the deportation” in Russia of Ukrainian civilians. To favor the use of the word “conflict” rather than the word war. And especially to have left, dropped, the martyred city of Mariupol. Some social network users even go so far as to adorn the ICRC logo with a swastika.

For the most part, these criticisms are unjustified. There’s a lot of misinformation out there, accentuated as always by the mechanics of social media. And above all there is misunderstanding of what the International Committee of the Red Cross is. Its role, unlike the Red Cross of each country, is to maintain a certain neutrality, to speak to everyone to preserve channels of exchange, and to provide humanitarian assistance to any threatened civilian, regardless of he be. But the notion of neutrality is always difficult to explain in the midst of a conflict. The ICRC responds also to the criticisms addressed to him. He certifies that he has no intention of creating a refugee camp in Rostov, Russia, and does not participate in any deportation process. He also recalls still having 800 people on the ground in Ukraine, having already distributed 500 tonnes of aid to civilians. And its president Peter Maurer specifies that he obviously went to kyiv before going to Moscow. The ICRC now fears that these criticisms will have an impact on the field work of its teams.

There remains the specific question of the departure from Mariupol: this is undoubtedly the most embarrassing accusation for the International Committee of the Red Cross. Given the tragedy that this city in the south-east of the country is experiencing, a target of incessant destruction, one would expect the ICRC to be always present. But he’s been gone for two weeks. For several reasons: its stocks on site were exhausted, attempts to evacuate civilians had failed. And the ICRC delegation on the spot was made up of Ukrainians, who had been joined by their families seeking refuge in the offices of the Red Cross. The choice was therefore made to shelter everyone when they left. The ICRC now claims to want to return to Mariupol where there are still nearly 100,000 inhabitants under the bombs. Obviously a very complicated task.