UN / SYRIA UPDATE

UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said over five million people in the Syrian capital Damascus have not had direct access to fresh water since December 22nd as water facilities were “deliberately targeted” during fighting in the Wadi Barada suburb on the outskirts of the city. UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:17
• Production Date: 3 January 2017
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: STEPHANE DUJARRIC
• Subject Topical: CONFLICT SITUATION; HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE; SYRIA SITUATION
• Geographic Subject: SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 1808201
• Parent Id: 1808201
• Alternate Title: unifeed170103c

Description

STORY: UN / SYRIA UPDATE
TRT: 01:17
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 03 JANUARY 2017, NEW YORK CITY / RECENT

Shotlist

FILE - NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, UNHQ exterior

03 JANUARY 2017, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, press room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson, United Nations:
“The scale of destruction in Aleppo is massive and it needs enormous help, including such things as health care, water and sanitation, education systems, housing and shelter, electricity and livelihood help. In the meantime, the UN and its partners are working closely with the Government to respond to the most urgent needs.”
4. Med shot, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson, United Nations:
“Any lack of water I think is obviously a humanitarian emergency and obviously a lack of fresh water leads to waterborne diseases, particularly among children. As part of our response in Syria, the UN has rehabilitated and equipped a number of wells in and around Damascus to cover about one-third of daily water needs in the city. Since the 22nd (of December), those wells have been the sole source of water for the entire city of Damascus.”

RECENT – 31 DECEMBER 2016, NEW YORK CITY

6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. Med shot, Spanish ambassador voting in favour of resolution
8. Pan left, Security Council voting on resolution
9. Zoom out, Security Council

Storyline

United Nations (UN) Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said over five million people in the Syrian capital Damascus have not had direct access to fresh water since December 22nd as water facilities were “deliberately targeted” during fighting in the Wadi Barada suburb on the outskirts of the city.

Speaking today (03 Jan) to reporters in New York, Dujarric said the UN did not have the forensic capability nor the mandate to determine the perpetrators but reports emerging indicated the bombing and “sabotaging of wells.” He said the UN had rehabilitated and equipped a number of wells in and around Damascus to cover about one-third of daily water needs in the city adding that “those wells have been the sole source of water for the entire city of Damascus.”

Turning to Aleppo, the spokesperson expressed concern for the 116,000 people that had been registered as displaced from formerly non-Government controlled neighbourhoods of eastern Aleppo. He said the scale of destruction in Aleppo was “massive” and the city needed “enormous help, including such things as health care, water and sanitation, education systems, housing and shelter, electricity and livelihood help.” He urged donors to provide immediate and long-term support to ensure life-saving assistance could continue to reach the city’s most vulnerable.

Meanwhile on Saturday (31 Dec), the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution backing a Russian-Turkish brokered ceasefire in Syria. The deal commits the Syrian government and opposition to a ceasefire across the country as well as direct negotiations in the Kazakhstani capital Astana late January. Media reports indicated on Monday that rebel groups in the country had decided to freeze any talks about their participation in the Astana negotiations in protest for what they called violations of the ceasefire deal by the Government, mainly in the Wadi Barada area.