Red Cross says seeking permission to work in Islamic State territory

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The International Committee of the Red Cross has said it is trying to establish relations with the Islamic State group in hopes of delivering aid to the 10 million people living under its control.

“Yes, we are of course looking at building a relationship” with Islamic State, ICRC Director-General Yves Daccord told AFP in an interview.

“We have a very clear humanitarian vision. First, what we see is 10 million people. Ten million people under the control of the Islamic State group (in Iraq and Syria).

“We are interested in these 10 million people. What happens to them? What are their problems? This is what will guide us,” he said.

The comments were made ahead of an agency conference in Geneva, held every four years, which gathers some 2,000 ICRC employees and national Red Cross/Red Crescent staffers for talks on the challenges facing humanitarian workers in increasingly complex environments.