KAMPALA, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Monday said it will continue supporting the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) despite violent attacks on its relief workers and vehicles.
In a joint statement issued here, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement said they remained fully committed to supporting vulnerable communities in the DRC and would continue providing impartial humanitarian assistance to those in need.
The statement said that 100 days after the official declaration of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, 12 volunteers had been injured, ambulances damaged, including one set on fire, and emergency response equipment destroyed in 11 violent incidents.
The humanitarian workers were attacked while conducting patient evacuations and safe and dignified burials of people who had died from the virus, the statement said.
The Red Cross societies of the DRC and Uganda, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the ICRC expressed deep concern over recent attacks on Red Cross volunteers and staff.
"We call on communities, local leaders, and all relevant stakeholders to support, respect and protect humanitarian action," the statement said.
"Volunteers, health workers, and humanitarian staff must be able to carry out their work in complete safety, without fear of violence, intimidation, or threats," it said.
The statement described attacks against volunteers and humanitarian personnel as unacceptable, stressing that respect for humanitarian workers and activities is essential to ensuring that communities affected by epidemics and other crises continue to receive urgently needed assistance and services.
"Every personnel injured and every ambulance, vehicle, or piece of equipment damaged reduces the capacity to provide emergency health and humanitarian services, putting more lives at risk and making the epidemic harder to contain," it said. ■
