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    February 27, 2012

Red Crescent Evacuates Three Wounded Syrians from Homs

   VOA News

   Syria's Arab Red Crescent said Monday it had evacuated three wounded
   Syrians from the besieged Baba Amr neighborhood in the flashpoint city
   of Homs.
   Shelling continued in Homs Monday.
   The humanitarian team said it was unable to evacuate two wounded
   foreign journalists or to recover the bodies of two others killed last
   week.
   International Committee for the Red Cross spokesman Hicham Hassan said
   a larger convoy also brought aid to another embattled city, Hama, for
   the first time in 40 days.
   "The ICRC and The Syrian Arab Red Crescent managed to enter this
   morning, a few hours ago actually, to Hama, the city, in order to
   distribute food enough for 12,000 persons in addition to other
   necessary material," said Hassan.
   Hassan said the Red Cross is continuing to negotiate for more access
   and a pause in fighting, in order to help the civilians living amid the
   unrest. ((:11))
   "For us the humanitarian situation is degenerating by the hour, and
   this is why it is absolutely important that we enter as soon as
   possible - on one hand to evacuate all those who need to be evacuated
   and on the other hand to bring in much needed assistance," said Hassan.
   Activists said Monday that Syrian military forces had killed 10 people.
   Meanwhile, the government announced that Syrian voters overwhelmingly
   approved a new constitution that Syrian leaders portray as a step
   toward democratization, but that has been rejected by opposition
   factions and Western governments.

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