United Nations evacuation under way from Mariupol steelworks

A UN operation to evacuate civilians from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol is under way, a spokesperson has confirmed.

Officials reached the factory on Saturday, and the exercise is being coordinated with the International Committee of the Red Cross, Ukraine and Russia.

According to Reuters, the UN’s Saviano Abreu added that further information was not being shared to ensure the safety of evacuees. It’s believed about 1,000 people are at the site.

Azovstal steel plant employee Natalia Usmanova (L), 37, who was evacuated from Mariupol, is seen along with other evacuees near a temporary accommodation centre in the village of Bezimenne in the Donetsk Region, Ukraine May 1, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

 

Civilians who left the area near Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol walk accompanied by a member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at a temporary accommodation centre in the village of Bezimenne in Russian-separatist eastern Ukraine. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

 

Civilians who left the area near Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol walk accompanied by a service member of pro-Russian troops at a temporary accommodation centre during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the village of Bezimenne in eastern Ukraine. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

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