Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUnifeed
UN / POWER
“we cannot for one minute think that the situation is improving overall, it is not.”UNIFEED-UNTV
STORY: UN/ POWER
TRT: 02:48
SOURCE: UNIFEED-UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 27 JANUARY 2016, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations headquarters
2. Med shot, Power walking to podium
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Samantha Power, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“While we welcome news that a handful of convoys carrying food and medical assistance were able to reach one of those areas, Madaya – over the past few weeks we cannot for one minute think that the situation is improving overall, it is not. It is not improving in Madaya nor is it improving in the other besieged areas data from which is impossible to gleam. Much more aid is needed for the thousands of civilians who could become casualties to this conflict.”
4. Wide shot, Power at podium
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Samantha Power, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“The conditions the Council predicted would come to pass, absent a credible, political transition the last time we were there have now sadly been born out. More than 400 people have been killed owing to political violence, more than 230,000 refugees have fled Burundi to neighboring countries. Mass graves are being discovered as we speak and the climate of fear, intimidation and harassment in the country and particularly in the capital, Bujumbura which is where we spent most of our time is acute and really a noticeable contrast to when I was last there ten months ago.”
6. Wide shot, Power at podium
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Samantha Power, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“Our views on designations our openness on the arms embargo is not shared, has not been shared in the past by every member of the Council, so this is something once again we would want to hear out of the African Union Summit, what progress they have made pushing President Kiir and Reik Machar back into implementation and then take that into account as we discuss South Sudan here. But I want to underscore, fighting is happening, people are dying, the situation in South Sudan is not stable.”
8. Wide shot, Power at podium
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Samantha Power, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“Secretary Kerry was in Beijing meeting with the Chinese foreign minister today. We have held extensive dialogue and consultations since the nuclear test on January 6th but the clock is ticking. And we need to accelerate progress on negotiations in order to bring about a tough and comprehensive resolution that will affect the calculus of Kim Jong Un, who has proven again and again his defiance of UN Security Council resolutions and his defiance of international norms.”
10. Wide shot, Power walking away from podium
“While we welcome news that a handful of convoys carrying food and medical assistance were able to reach one of those areas, Madaya – over the past few weeks we cannot for one minute think that the situation is improving overall, it is not.”
Speaking to reporters outside the Security Council today (27 Jan) after a meeting on Syria, United States (US) Ambassador Samantha Power said that aid was not improving in any of the besieged areas in Syria and that much more aid was needed for thousands “who could become casualties of this conflict.”
Asked about the Council’s recent trip to Burundi, she said the deterioration in the country was “noticeable” and that the conditions the Security Council had predicted on their last visit almost one year ago, had come to pass. She said that more than 400 people had been killed and 230,000 have fled Burundi due to political violence.
On South Sudan, Power said that her country’s view on the arms embargo has not been shared with every member in the past and that they are waiting to hear what progress comes out of the African Union Summit which will take place this weekend. She added “I want to underscore, fighting is happening, people are dying, the situation in South Sudan is not stable.”
Asked whether there would be any action taken by the Council since the North Korea (DPRK) nuclear tests and if there was a point of dispute between the US and China, she said there has been extensive dialogue and consultations since the nuclear test on January 6th with China but the “clock is ticking and we need to accelerate progress on negotiations in order to bring about a tough and comprehensive resolution that will affect the calculus of Kim Jong Un, who has proven again and again his defiance of UN Security Council resolutions and his defiance of international norms.”
The ambassador said they did not have a precise timeline for the resolution to offer but underscored “how urgent we deem it.”
Download
There is no media available to download.
