GENEVA

A "worst-case scenario" awaits hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in Ukraine’s port city of Mariupol facing starvation or death unless a concrete humanitarian agreement is reached urgently, the Red Cross said on Sunday.

“Hundreds of thousands of the city's residents are now facing extreme or total shortages of basic necessities like food, water and medicine,” said a statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"Dead bodies, of civilians and combatants, remain trapped under the rubble or lying in the open where they fell," the statement added.

It said life-changing injuries and chronic, debilitating conditions cannot be treated.

"The human suffering is simply immense," said the Red Cross.

"People of all ages, including our staff, are sheltering in unheated basements, risking their lives to make short runs outside for food and water," said the ICRC.

Refugees continue streaming out of Ukraine, and the latest number registered by the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, is more than 2.69 million.

The Ukraine military on Saturday said: "Enemy troops have captured the eastern periphery of Mariupol."

Humanitarian imperatives

"We call on all parties involved in the fighting to place humanitarian imperatives first," said Peter Maurer, ICRC's president.

"People in Mariupol have endured a weeks-long life-and-death nightmare. This needs to stop now. Their safety and their access to food, water, and shelter must be guaranteed," Maurer added.

Sasha Volkov, ICRC's operational leader in Mariupol, said: "The sound of warfare is constant. Buildings are struck, and shrapnel flies everywhere. This is the situation every person in the city faces."

The ICRC said that to alleviate the misery and prevent further tragedy, a concrete, precise and actionable agreement is needed without delay so that civilians who wish to leave can reach safety and for life-saving aid to get to those who cannot escape or who want to stay.