The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirms that it did not take part in the operation to transfer fighters and civilians from the border Arsal plains to Syria, contrary to reports in the media.
The Lebanese Red Cross took care of the logistics on the Lebanese side of the border.
The ICRC was not asked by any of the parties involved in the ceasefire agreement- that followed the Arsal clashes- to play a role in the implementation of the transfer.
The ICRC, meanwhile, stands ready to provide humanitarian assistance to people in need, whether those who decided to leave or those who decided to stay.
During the clashes in Arsal, ICRC teams were on the ground to coordinate the evacuation of the wounded and ensure their access to medical care, in cooperation with the Lebanese Red Cross and other humanitarian actors and in coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The ICRC also supported medical facilities in the Bekaa that received the wounded. In the last days of the clashes, the ICRC distributed, through local communities, 3,000 bags of bread and 1,000 food parcels to displaced families in Wadi Hmeid and supported the distribution of hygiene kits in the town of Arsal.
For more information, contact:
Soraya Dali-Balta, ICRC Lebanon, 00961 70 153 928
Patricia Rey Gonzalez, ICRC Lebanon, 00961 71 802 876
Patricia Rey Gonzalez, ICRC Lebanon, 00961 71 802 876
Or :
Follow @ICRC_LB on Twitter
