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Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Two international organizations based in Geneva have issued urgent appeals to the captors of their employees to release them unharmed. Rebels in the Philippines, who are holding three ICRC (International Red Cross) employees, including Swiss Andreas Notter, are threatening to decapitate one of them if the army does not leave the area where they are held. Tuesday morning the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) told the kidnappers of John Solecki in Pakstan that they are entirely responsible for his health, expressing concern over the lack of news in the past two weeks.

In addition to Notter, the group in the Philippines is holding Mary Jean Lacaba, Philippines citizen and Eugenio Vagni, Italian.

ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger issued an appeal to the rebel group holding ICRC workers in the Philippines, “Our message to Abu Sayyaf is: please spare and release Mary Jean, Eugenio and Andreas. All they were doing was helping people in need in your area. There is no ideology or religious law that could justify killing them.

“We will do everything in our power to ensure that Mary Jean, Eugenio and Andreas remain safe and can return to their families, who miss them desperately. Their children, parents, siblings, spouses, friends and colleagues will not give up hope of seeing them again soon,” added Kellenberger.

In Pakistan, the UNHCR says it has not had any news of John Solecki for two weeks, a situation it describes as “very worrying” since Solecki has multiple health problems that need regular medical attention.