Red Cross chief meets Assad over plight of Syrians

DAMASCUS (AFP) - Red Cross chief Peter Maurer held a 45 minute meeting with President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Tuesday during which he expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in Syria, an official said.

Dr Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, during the meeting urged respect for international humanitarian law and the need to boost assistance on the ground in Syria, ICRC spokesman Hisham Hassan said in a statement.

State television said that Mr Assad told Dr Maurer that he supports the work of the ICRC in Syria so long as it remains "impartial and independent."

"President Assad assured the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross that he welcomed the humanitarian operations carried out by the committee on the ground in Syria, as long as it remains impartial and independent," the report said.