Efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor to the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol have once again been delayed. Despite an agreed-upon bi-lateral ceasefire, a Red Cross humanitarian convoy was forced to turn back due to a lack of security assurances near Mariupol. The 45-bus convoy sought to alleviate the city from its prolonged Russian siege and help evacuate those most in need. In conversation with Al Jazeera, an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) spokesperson said the fine details of a humanitarian corridor were “extremely complex to arrange” and appealed to both parties’ responsibilities to the people of Mariupol under the Geneva Convention.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that many homes are currently without electricity or heating; this is severely concerning in a city where temperatures can reach –3 °C in the current season. OCHA’s reporting also highlights a critical lack of safe drinking water and fresh food. This significantly increases the risk of disease. With a quickly deteriorating situation on the ground, the ICRC is set to continue its efforts to establish a safe passage in and out of Mariupol in the coming days. Before the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, Mariupol had an estimated population of 500,000 people – roughly the same population size as Liverpool in the UK or Atlanta in the US.

Once a thriving and cultural port city, indiscriminate Russian shelling and aerial bombardment have reduced Mariupol to rubble. Recent aerial footage of the city resembles a dystopian scene more than a 21st-century European city. Russian is the predominant language of Mariupol, and 44% of its residents are ethnically Russian. For this reason, the deliberate destruction of the city by the Russians is seemingly at odds with the “de-Nazification” and “liberation” narrative peddled by the Kremlin over the past month. The port city is of high geostrategic value for Russia. Sitting some 200 km from the Donbas region, Russian control of Mariupol would allow for a land corridor to be established between Russia and Crimea – illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. A Russian victory would also further narrow Ukrainian access to the Sea of Azov and weaken its future economic and military position.

Since early in the invasion, Russian encirclement and bombing of Mariupol have severely compromised access in and out of the city. This has choked the in-flow of food and other vital humanitarian aid into the city’s remaining hospitals, shops, and churches. Mariupol’s mayor has publicly stated that children in his city were “dying of dehydration.” In addition to supplies being locked out, shattered roads and constant gunfire has also trapped civilians. As many as 170,000 people are currently trapped in Mariupol – time is running out.