Russia contributes $1m to Red Cross mission in Syria

Russia s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the country has contributed $1 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to finance the ICRC humanitarian operation in Syria, RIA Novosti news agency reported. During the entire crisis in Syria, Russia has been supporting the ICRC s active efforts in providing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population, the ministry said in a statement. About 70,000 people have died in Syria since the start of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011, according to UN estimates. Russia, along with China, has faced widespread condemnation over its refusal to approve UN sanctions against Assad s regime. Moscow has repeatedly said that it has no interest in seeing Assad remain in power, but that it is concerned that unilateral sanctions leading to his downfall could create a power vacuum and lead to more violence.