The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will step up dialogue with the government and Maoists to improve conditions for people living in conflict zones, AFP reported from New Delhi Wednesday.

An ICRC statement released in New Delhi Wednesday said the organization’s Indian branch had studied the areas worst affected by the strife in Nepal, the French news agency said. “In view of the findings, the ICRC plans to step up dialogue between the government and the Maoists with a view to

restore freedom of movement for people and goods and improving civilian security,” the statement said.

“Restrictions imposed by both parties, a chronically poor transport system and insecurity arising from the fighting are all inhibiting commerce and trade,” the statement said. The agency said its staff visited areas controlled by the government and the Communist Party Nepal-Maoist and talked to the representatives of both parties.

The ICRC, it added, will regularly monitor economic security in areas affected by the conflict “and build up and maintain its capacity to act in the event of an emergency.” The New Delhi office will share its information with the Nepal Red Cross Society and coordinate with workers there, it said.

The statement further said ICRC will refrain, for the time being, from undertaking large-scale food  distributions, which could undermine existing coping mechanisms, and thus engage in food aid only if the situation warrants it.

Meanwhile, the ICRC continues to visit detainees held in connection with the insurgency; to assist

health-care facilities treating the wounded; to monitor the water-and-sanitation situation; to promote ratification of international humanitarian law; to help the armed forces train their personnel to implement that law; to support university-level study of and research into humanitarian law.

It is helping the Nepali Red Cross augment its ability to meet the needs of the conflict’s victims by building an efficient network of Red Cross messages (brief personal messages to relatives made unreachable by the fighting), developing first-aid services in conflict areas, and generally strengthening its conflict-preparedness.

There is no food  shortage in areas surveyed, the agency said quoting ICRC.