- Wildlife populations plunge 73% since 1970: WWF
- 'Sleeper agent' bots on X fuel US election misinformation, study says
- Death toll rises to 109 after Haiti gang attack, official says
- Tigers beat Guardians and on brink of advancing in MLB playoffs
- Argentina MPs back Milei's veto of university funding
- Man City sink Barca in Women's Champions League as Bayern outgun Arsenal
- Greek international Baldock, 31, found dead in pool: state agency
- Florida seaside haven a ghost town as hurricane nears
- Pharrell Williams to co-chair Met Gala exploring Black dandyism
- Wall Street indices hit fresh records as Chinese shares tumble
- Taiwan's president to deliver key speech for National Day
- Sea row on the menu as ASEAN leaders meet China's Li
- Injured Kane won't start England's Nations League clash with Greece
- Discord seen as online home for renegades
- US forecasts severe solar storm starting Thursday
- Mozambique starts tallying votes in tense election
- Zelensky moves to court European leaders in drive for military aid
- Ratan Tata: Indian mogul who built a global powerhouse
- Rodgers rejects 'false' suggestions of role in Saleh dismissal
- One dead as storm Kirk tears through Spain, Portugal, France
- Indian business titan Ratan Tata dead at 86
- Lebanon facing 'catastrophic' situation as 600,000 displaced: UN
- US warns Israel not to repeat Gaza destruction in Lebanon
- Musk's X returns in Brazil after 40-day showdown with judge
- Call her savvy? Harris unleashes unconventional media blitz
- Lucian Freud 'masterpiece' fetches £13.9 million at London sale
- SoFi Stadium to hold next two CONCACAF Nations League finals
- McIlroy and DeChambeau set for PGA-LIV 'Showdown' in Vegas
- Fed minutes highlight divisions over rate cut decision
- Steve McQueen debuts new WWII film at London festival
- Run blitz edges India and South Africa closer to World Cup semi-finals
- Zelensky to court European leaders in drive for military aid
- Israel captain says 'difficult' to focus on football in time of war
- Macron to host Ukraine's Zelensky after meeting Ukrainian troops
- Root says 'many more to get' after England Test runs landmark
- India pile up World Cup high to rout Sri Lanka
- One year later, Israeli hostage family learns of loss
- Texans receiver Collins, Pats' safety Peppers out for NFL clash
- Biden-Netanyahu talk as Hezbollah, Israeli forces clash
- Musk's X available again in Brazil after 40-day ban
- Reddy stars as India crush Bangladesh to clinch T20 series
- Nobel winners hope protein work will spur 'incredible' breakthroughs
- What are proteins again? Nobel-winning chemistry explained
- Arch rivals Ghana, Nigeria drawn together in CHAN qualifying
- AI steps into science limelight with Nobel wins
- Trump lauds India's Modi as 'total killer'
- Wall Street, Europe rise as Chinese shares tumble
- Hunkering down for Hurricane Milton at Disney -- but first, a few rides
- Reddy, Rinku power India to 221-9 in second Bangladesh T20
- Overshooting 1.5C risks 'irreversible' climate impact: study
Disinformation endangering Red Cross work in Ukraine: ICRC
A massive disinformation campaign targeting the Red Cross as it provides aid in the Ukraine conflict is putting its staff at risk, the organisation said Tuesday.
The International Committee of the Red Cross also condemned "abhorrent and unacceptable" levels of violence being inflicted on civilians.
The ICRC said it had faced a barrage of accusations over its efforts to try to facilitate evacuations from embattled cities in Ukraine, and over its communications with both sides in the conflict.
"We are seeing deliberate, targeted attacks using false narratives, and disseminating this information to discredit the ICRC," spokesman Ewan Watson told journalists in Geneva.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, there had been "a huge flow of misinformation and disinformation that we see as deliberate, targeted and orchestrated across social media channels... and occasionally appearing in the mainstream media.
"This has the potential to cause real harm for our teams... on the ground and for the people we serve."
One accusation circulating on social media was that the Geneva-based body helped organise forced evacuations of Ukrainians from the besieged city of Mariupol to Russia.
Watson insisted that the ICRC "would never support any operation that would go against people's will and our principles".
- 'Absolutely false' -
Another claim was that the organisation was setting up an office in Rostov, southern Russia, to "filter Ukrainians", a charge Watson described as "absolutely false".
The ICRC acknowledged it was discussing opening an office in Rostov, but stressed that this was part of a "huge regional scale-up to deal with a massive humanitarian crisis".
Watson insisted that the neutral organisation was merely seeking to fulfil its mandate to support and help victims of conflict wherever they are.
"It is not doing any of the parties' bidding: it is fulfilling our role as the International Committee of the Red Cross to come to the assistance of victims," he said.
Watson stressed that "our neutrality and our impartial humanitarian action must be respected."
"Neutrality and impartiality are not abstract concepts or lofty principles," he argued.
ICRC's neutrality is what allows it "to reach, help and, in many cases, save the lives of civilians".
- 'Abhorrent and unacceptable' -
As the caretaker of the Geneva Conventions, the ICRC has been striving to make both sides aware of their obligations under international humanitarian law, he said. That includes the legal obligation to protect civilians and limit military strikes in civilian areas.
The organisation said it had made detailed proposals to ensure safe passage and evacuations from Mariupol, where an estimated 160,000 people are remain trapped with little food, water or medicine.
"The humanitarian crisis is deepening in Ukraine," Watson said.
"The level of death, disruption and suffering that we are witnessing being inflicted on civilians is abhorrent and unacceptable.
"Time is running out for civilians in Mariupol and in other frontline areas who have now gone for weeks with no humanitarian assistance."
Parties to the conflict are also obligated to inform the ICRC of any prisoners of war captured and to allow ICRC staff to visit them.
"We expect the parties to fulfil their obligations under the Geneva Conventions without further delay," said Watson.
J.Williams--AMWN