Press briefing by Pierre Krähenbühl via video-link from Jerusalem

Press briefing by Pierre Krähenbühl, Commissioner General of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Mr. Krähenbühl will brief via video-link from Jerusalem

• Categories: Media / Press Conferences
• Video Length: 00:32:07
• Production Date: 20 April 2015
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST - UNRWA
• Subject Topical: HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE; HUMANITARIAN CRISIS; HUMANITARIAN RELIEF; PALESTINE REFUGEES
• Geographic Subject: SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 1337293
• Parent Id: 1337293

Description

Pierre Krähenbühl, who briefed the Council from Jerusalem via video link also spoke to journalists at UN Headquarters afterwards, updating them on the briefing and on recent happenings in Yarmouk.

Having recently returned from a four-day humanitarian mission to Damascus, he said that he told the Council about the situation inside Yarmouk and his concerns about the security, safety and levels of protection of civilians in the camp.

While he acknowledged that the humanitarian situation remains “very extreme” in terms of the circumstances and hardships faced, he pointed to “concrete achievements” coming from discussions with the Government about possibly widening the scope of humanitarian access.

Many people had described the terrible impact of the situation they faced in the last two years, he said. Several thousand people remain in Yarmouk and he said he was determined to establish distribution points to allow them to access humanitarian aid, and to enhance distribution of assistance to those who had managed to escape to nearby neighbourhoods.

Describing some of the assistance that UNRWA was distributing, he underscored the need for ongoing financial assistance. A total of $30 million was needed for immediate emergency aid in addition to over $400 million requested for the overall Syria Appeal, which had received only 19 per cent funding.

Mr. Krähenbühl stressed that the Council should remain seized of the matter and said a visit by members to Syria would be a strong signal of the importance that it attaches to the situation.