Belarus Red Cross Facilitates Controversial Deportation of Ukrainian Children

The head of the Belarusian Red Cross has admitted that the organization is involved in the relocation of Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied areas to Belarus, sparking international outcry and potential complicity in what Ukraine considers a war crime. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) expressed grave concern and called for the practice to stop, as the deportation of a civilian population is considered a war crime under international agreements. The Ukrainian government has reported that nearly 20,000 children have been deported or forcibly displaced, with 1,000 missing. The Belarus Red Cross's involvement in the deportations has led to calls for its exclusion from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.