ICRC Chief Heads to Syria, to Meet Assad
The new head of the International Committee of the Red Cross will travel to Damascus on Monday and will meet Syrian President Bashar Assad the following day, his office said.
"Peter Maurer arrives today (Monday) in Syria for a three-day visit, the first since he took up his duties as president on July 1," the ICRC said in a statement, adding that Maurer would meet Assad and other top Syrian officials.
"At a time when more and more civilians are being exposed to extreme violence, it is of the utmost importance that we and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent succeed in significantly scaling up our humanitarian response," said Maurer. "It is vital that we build on what has already been achieved on the ground."
Talks will mainly tackle the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation and the difficulties faced by the ICRC and the Crescent as they attempt to reach people affected by the armed conflict, the statement said.
"An adequate humanitarian response is required to keep pace with needs, which have been growing exponentially," said Maurer.
"During my visit, I also intend to follow up on points agreed last April, such as expanded access to persons detained in Syria and the imperative necessity of helping civilians affected by hostilities," he added.
Source: Agence France Presse
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