GENEVA / SYRIA HUMANITARIAN

A spokesperson from the office of the Special Envoy for Syria said the most critical test of the cessation of hostilities plan in the country will be “its ability to make a real difference in the life of Syrians on the ground.” UNTV CH

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:57
• Production Date: 13 September 2016
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS - OCHA
• Subject Topical: HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE; SYRIA SITUATION
• Geographic Subject: SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 1705508
• Parent Id: 1705508
• Alternate Title: unifeed160913b

Description

STORY: GENEVA / SYRIA HUMANITARIAN
TRT: 2:57
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 13 SEPTEMBER 2016, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, exterior, Palais des Nations
2. Wide shot, press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jessy Chahine, Spokesperson, Office of the Special Envoy for Syria:
“We will do whatever we can to support an early restoration of the cessation of hostilities. The most critical test for this plan will be its ability to make a real difference in the life of Syrians on the ground. The first order of business for the sponsors of the plan are other countries on the ISSG (International Syria Support Group) and all stakeholders on the ground should be to act immediately in support of the restoration of humanitarian access to besieged and hard to reach areas. “
4. Wide shot, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jessy Chahine, Spokesperson, Office of the Special Envoy for Syria:
“We consider that this agreement opens an important window of opportunity which needs to be used in order to end the five year war that has killed more than 250,000 people and seen millions to flee to neighbouring countries. We hope that parties will consider they are ready to return to talks with humanitarian access delivered.”
6. Close up, journalist
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Laerke, Spokesperson, Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“We remain prepared to deliver also to besieged and hard to reach areas that included East Aleppo where between 250 000 and 275,000 people have not been reached by the UN since early July.”
8. Medium shot, journalists
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Laerke, Spokesperson, Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“We have asked originally to reach an estimated 1.2 million people through inter-agency land convoys to besieged, hard to reach and other priority cross line locations. On 6th September we received full or partial approvals to reach a total of about 980,000 people. However, as we have heard, up till now no convoys have proceeded yet in September. Of course, we hope that the reinstated cessation of hostilities will enable us to access these areas and to reach everybody in need.”
10. Medium shot, journalists
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Laerke, Spokesperson, Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“We need to enter an environment where we are not in mortal danger as humanitarian organisations delivering aid. So, we need to see that materialised before we can move ahead. Having said that, and we have said that for quite some time, we have been mobilising, stockpiling, readying ourselves for this great opportunity to deliver this very urgent aid; but we need that peace to be reinstated before we can go in.”
12. Close up, journalists
15. Close up, journalist typing

Storyline

A spokesperson from the office of the Special Envoy for Syria said the most critical test of the cessation of hostilities plan in the country will be “its ability to make a real difference in the life of Syrians on the ground.”

Speaking to the press in Geneva today (13 Sep), Jessey Chahine said the first order of business all the stakeholders should be to act immediately to restore humanitarian access to besieged and hard to reach areas. Chahine said Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura and his team will do whatever they can "to support an early restoration” of the cessation of hostilities agreement backed by the United States and Russia which went into effect at sunset on Monday. She hope that the parties would be ready to return to talks “with humanitarian access delivered.”

United Nations (UN) humanitarian office spokesperson Jens Laerke said the UN and its partners remained prepared to deliver aid to besieged and hard to reach areas. Despite receiving approvals to reach some 980,000 people, Laerke said no convoys has proceeded in September. He said aid convoys are ready to travel into the Syrian towns from Turkey, but better security guarantees are needed. Laerke said humanitarian organizations needed to enter an environment where they are “not in mortal danger.”