Kellenberger to Moscow for talks on Syria crisis

The president of the International Red Cross, Jakob Kellenberger, is headed to Moscow for talks on the humanitarian situation in Syria, the ICRC said Sunday. "Kellenberger will pay a one-day visit during which he will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov" on Monday, the International Committee for the Red Cross said in a statement. Kellenberger is going to Moscow to share the ICRC's concerns about the humanitarian situation in Syria and to review the work being done by the ICRC and the Syrian Red Crescent since the start of the unrest" a year ago, it said. "The humanitarian situation in Homs, Idlib, Hama, Deraa and other areas affected by the unrest remains extremely difficult and may get even worse. People have been suffering for many months in some areas, especially women and children," Kellenberger said in the statement. "A daily ceasefire of at least two hours is imperative to allow the evacuation of the wounded," he added, urging "an unambiguous commitment by all parties concerned ... to end the fighting" so that aid workers "can help people who are cruelly in need." Kellenberger first travelled to Syria in June last year, followed by a trip in September when he met with President Bashar al-Assad. Since then there has been "regular dialogue" with Syrian authorities and opposition members, both in Syria and abroad, the ICRC said. The ICRC and the Syrian Red Crescent have supplied food, medicine and other essential items to thousands of people. Monitors say the brutal crackdown on dissent has cost more than 9,100 lives.