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GENEVA / YEMEN MIGRANTS DEATHS
STORY: GENEVA / YEMEN MIGRANTS DEATHS
TRT: 2:00
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /NATS
DATELINE: 15 AUGUST 2017 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, exterior, flags
2. Wide shot, exterior, Palais des Nations
3. Wide shot, press briefing room
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Olivia Headon, Spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM):
“From the first incident we still say that there are confirmed 29 dead. We now know that 12 of these people were Ethiopian males, another 12 were Ethiopian females, and another 5 of the confirmed dead were Somali males.”
5. Close up, journalist
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Olivia Headon, Spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM):
“From the second incident where 160 people were forced from a second boat, on Thursday the 10th of August, that day of the incident our staff found 6 bodies on the beach. The following day on the 11th of August our staff as well as local people, found another 4 bodies, and the following day our staff found another 2 on the 12th of August. That makes the total number of confirmed dead from the second incident 12.”
7. Med shot, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Olivia Headon, Spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM):
“In total from both incidences, 226 people survived, 42 people are confirmed dead, and 12 people are still missing. This brings the total of presumed dead to 54.”
9. Close up, journalist
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Joel Millman, Spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM):
“There has been a great enthusiasm to find out whether Spain is now becoming the new destination for Europe. We keep reminding people, the comparison in numbers is so great, Spain is three times more than last year but from a base of about 1% of the Italy arrivals a year ago. The rapid run-up while noteworthy, and we are happy to talk about it, is not by any means a sign that the smuggling community has shifted and is now all sending everything to Spain as many people have asked me.”
11. Medium shot, journalist
12. Wide shots, journalists
13. Wide shot, journalists
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said its staff on the ground have found more survivors, as well as remains of more victims from the tragic incidents that occurred on 9 and 10 August where a total of 280 migrants were forced by smugglers from two boats off the coast of Yemen’s Shabwa Governorate.
Olivia Headon, spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) told today to reporters in Geneva that “from the first incident we still say that there are confirmed 29 dead. We now know that 12 of these people were Ethiopian males, another 12 were Ethiopian females, and another 5 of the confirmed dead were Somali males.”
IOM was able to account for a majority of the missing in this first incident, either through contact or reports from other survivors for which they reported a total of 35 people presumed dead. IOM provided urgent medical care, as well as food and water to 27 survivors, 22 of whom were Ethiopian males, and the remainder, five Somali males. Eighty-five people in total survived this incident although many others are reported to have left the beach before IOM arrived to assist.
A second incident occurred on 10 August, again off the coast of Yemen’s Shabwa Governorate, but in a different location from the first tragedy and closer to the shore.
IOM spokesperson said “from the second incident where 160 people were forced from a second boat, on Thursday the 10th of August, that day of the incident our staff found 6 bodies on the beach. The following day on the 11th of August our staff as well as local people, found another 4 bodies, and the following day our staff found another 2 on the 12th of August. That makes the total number of confirmed dead from the second incident 12.”
IOM assisted 57 survivors on 10 August. Thirteen of the survivors IOM assisted returned to the beach the following day realizing that they were too weak to make the trek through the desert to Yemen’s land borders. On 13 August, IOM located five more survivors and assisted them with medical support, food and water. In total, IOM aided 65 people who survived the second incident. Some 142 people survived the second incident and, as on the previous day, people left the beach before IOM arrived.
Headon said “in total from both incidences, 226 people survived, 42 people are confirmed dead, and 12 people are still missing. This brings the total of presumed dead to 54.”
The surviving Ethiopian and Somali migrants left IOM’s care and are most likely making their way to Yemen’s borders with the Gulf countries, a journey which takes a week or more depending on the route. The migration routes through Yemen are constantly changing due to the security situation in the country.
In response to media questions regarding changing migration routes to Spain, Joel Millman, also a IOM spokesperson stated: “there has been a great enthusiasm to find out whether Spain is now becoming the new destination for Europe. We keep reminding people, the comparison in numbers is so great, Spain is three times more than last year but from a base of about 1% of the Italy arrivals a year ago. The rapid run-up while noteworthy, and we are happy to talk about it, is not by any means a sign that the smuggling community has shifted and is now all sending everything to Spain as many people have asked me.”
IOM will continue to patrol Yemen’s beaches to provide assistance to migrants in distress and to search for the migrants still missing.
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