UN undersecretary general calls on Russia, Ukraine to allow safe passage of civilians

New York [US], March 8 (ANI): Martin Griffiths, the Undersecretary-General of the United Nations for Humanitarian Affairs on Monday called on both parties of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine to allow safe passage for civilians to leave areas with active hostilities.
"The parties [of the conflict] must take constant care to spare civilians and civilian homes and infrastructure in their military operations. This includes allowing safe passage for civilians to leave areas of active hostilities on a voluntary basis, in the direction they choose," Griffiths was quoted as saying during a presser.
The United Nations is seeking a system of stable communication with the parties to the conflict in Ukraine to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid, he said.
"[W]e urgently need a system of constant communication with parties to the conflict and assurances to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid. A humanitarian notification system can support the delivery of aid at the scale needed," Griffiths added.
These remarks come as Russian and Ukrainian negotiators on Monday failed to achieve significant results during their third round of peace talks held in Belarus.
Mykhailo Podolyak, a member of the Ukrainian delegation, said that there was some small progress in improving the logistics of humanitarian corridors in Ukraine.
Podolyak said intensive consultations continued on the main political block of the settlement along with a ceasefire and security guarantees.
"The third round of negotiations has ended. There are small positive subductions in improving the logistics of humanitarian corridors... Intensive consultations have continued on the basic political block of the regulations, along with a ceasefire and security guarantees," Podolyak tweeted.
Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, also the head of the Russian delegation, said, "The discussions continued on political and military aspects. However, it remains difficult. It is too early to talk about something positive." (ANI)