The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is deeply saddened by the deaths of two members of the Lebanese Red Cross emergency medical services.

Boulos Meemary (25) and Haitham Sleiman (26) were killed in an explosion on 11 June near Nahr el Bared camp in Lebanon. Both men worked at the first aid centre at Halba.

The cause and origin of the explosion that killed them remain unclear. There is no indication that the volunteers were the intended targets of an attack.

Volatile

At the time of their tragic deaths, Boulos Meemary and Haitham Sleiman were near the Lebanese Red Cross first aid post in Burj el-Arab. The post is close to Nahr el Bared camp, from which teams from the Lebanese Red Cross, Palestine Red Crescent, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have been evacuating civilians since 3 June.

Since evacuations began, Red Cross and Red Crescent teams have evacuated 344 persons, among them many particularly vulnerable people, such as pregnant women, the elderly, and more than 40 children.

From 9 to 11 June, Lebanese Red Cross emergency medical services teams carried out 35 medical emergency transports, evacuated 102 wounded and transported two dead bodies from the site of fighting and from first aid posts. Seventy-five civilians and two dead bodies were transported by the Palestine Red Crescent ambulances and were handed over to emergency medical service teams at the camp's entrance.

Protected

People leaving the camp are exhausted. Evacuations are risky and take time because of the volatile security conditions. It is unknown how many wounded and dead people remain in the camp.

The Movement emphasises that medical personnel, vehicles and facilities should not be subjected to attack. Medical personnel and humanitarian workers must be allowed to carry out their tasks and must, especially, have unimpeded access to the wounded.

The Movement will continue to carry out evacuations of the camp.