Mr. Matthew Morris:

Regarding humanitarian corridors, Mariupol has been a particular focus for the ICRC within Ukraine. I echo the point about some informal corridors. In that context, people have been able to see some respite in the hostilities and make their own convoys to get out. Last week, our team, which had basically been taking shelter for days on end, led one of those unofficial convoys. Many of our colleagues with families and children decided to leave Mariupol. There was a moment for them to do that. Many of us would have done the same.

In terms of corridors, we have been repeating the message loudly and clearly that we welcome any opportunity for a respite from the fighting, a chance for people to get out and a chance for aid to get in, but we have not seen enough of that in Mariupol. This boils down to the fact that there has not been a concrete agreement between the parties to the conflict. We are often asked about when the corridor will open and what we are doing, but we cannot police it. We can be there as a presence and oversee and facilitate it, but a concrete agreement needs to be made. In Mariupol, that has not happened. It is also the case with corridors that there must never be any impression that anything goes outside a corridor or that time. Far from it. We remind everyone that civilians and civilian infrastructure are protected at all times.

Regarding the hospital situation in Mariupol, it is difficult to get information now. Our colleagues were able to provide supplies in the early days of the conflict, but that access was limited. We have medical supplies pre-positioned in various places, such as Dnipro, and we want to get them into Mariupol as soon as we can. I am sad to say that is not happening at the moment, though.

A question was asked about separated children. This is a critical matter. Perhaps I should have mentioned in my submission that an area of focus for the Red Cross movement across the world is where families are separated. All too often, we see families getting separated in conflicts like this. At this meeting, we have discussed the statistics of people displaced within and outside the country. In conflicts around the world, we see people being displaced multiple times within their countries. We are approaching four weeks of this conflict and that is a fear. We have discussed the west of the country. We hope that people will move to safety and not have to flee multiple times.

The psychosocial support provided by Red Cross staff and volunteers in neighbouring countries and within Ukraine is critical. Of the hidden consequences, the toll on people's mental health can be astronomical. This is something of which we are aware. We have experts. At this meeting, we have mentioned Red Cross societies such as the Polish Red Cross society, whose staff and volunteers are doing fantastic work. They have experts in this regard.

As to the question of whether to send goods, cash or workers, the ICRC sticks strictly to neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian actions. I mentioned our 600 plus 140 staff. It is crucial for us that our staff, working with the staff and volunteers of the Ukrainian Red Cross within the country, do this work because they have expertise. As an example, we have weapons experts who have been working in the east of the country for eight years. They have been working in communities where we have had to protect schools – bomb shelters and sandbags at the windows – on both sides of what was the line of contact in the Donbas. We have more weapons experts going into the country to do that kind of thing. The risk that unexploded ordnance poses to the civilian population almost does not bear thinking about, but it is what we think about and our experts try to work with communities, local authorities and other humanitarian organisations try to help people in this regard.

The generosity of the people of Ireland has been amazing and we are grateful for it. If people ask us, we ask for cash donations so that we can try to find our way. Getting supplies into Ukraine, where to send them within Ukraine and how to get them to different parts of the country where roads have come under attack involves a complicated mapped system.

A question was asked about forced displacement. It is not something on which we have any first-hand information, but it is clear that people, when they leave, must be able to leave voluntarily. As one of my colleagues has mentioned, it is important that focus is given to the vulnerable – the elderly, the sick, the injured and people with disabilities, who will not easily be able to move.

We have been working on both sides of the line of contact in Ukraine for eight years. I know from our updates that our partners at the Russian Red Cross have been working tirelessly because people have been misplaced in that direction. There are something like 94 points of distribution for humanitarian aid and many children have had to be moved into different communities, perhaps to relatives there. As well as the fantastic work of our Red Cross colleagues on the western side of Ukraine, we also pay tribute to our colleagues in Russia.