Guterres meets the international team to find a solution for displacement crises, International Committee of the Red Cross calls for opening a safe way for civilians in Idlib

GENEVA – On Tuesday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres met the special high-level international team he appointed in October 2019 whose task was finding a solution for displacement crises around the world.

The delegation was led by Federica Mogherini and Donald Kaberuka. During the meeting, Guterres described the displacement crises as a “devastating and complex problem.”

Guterres urged the team members to attract the world’s attention to this issue and intensify efforts to find solutions. He also expressed his confidence that the team will present new ideas to prevent forced displacement, better protect and assist the displaced, and identify quicker solutions to end their displacement.

In related news, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called on the warring sides in Syria to allow civilians to pass safely from the ongoing combat in Idlib Governorate. The Red Cross also stressed that hospitals, markets, and schools are protected under international law, and that all parties should respect this matter.

In a press briefing from Geneva, Red Cross spokesperson Ruth Heatherington urged all parties to allow civilians to pass safely, in addition to providing security guarantees for the movement of Red Cross teams so that they can respond appropriately to people’s needs on both sides of the battle lines.

The United Nations stated last week that the recent military escalation in Idlib had caused the displacement of nearly 900,000 people in the past two months, the majority of them children and women.