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LEBANON / GRANDI PRESSER
STORY: LEBANON / GRANDI PRESSER
TRT: 2:00
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT UNHCR ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 31 AUGUST 2018, BEIRUT, LEBANON
31 AUGUST 2018, BEIRUT, LEBANON
1. Wide shot, Grandi speaking to press
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees:
“My organization - and they want to stress it because there's been some reports to the contrary - my organization, UNHCR, remains a humanitarian organization without any political connotation that is focused on one objective which is to ensure that refugees to the extent that it is possible are supported in the places where they go to, and that again in whichever way is possible that the solutions are found to their forced displacement.”
3. Wide shot, Grandi speaking to press
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees:
“People should not be forced to go back. This is a very important principle of our action which I think is shared in this region by everybody. But also, if somebody wants to go back, this person should be free to go back if it is a free decision, an informed decision, a voluntary decision. So, voluntariness this means all these things.”
5. Wide shot, Grandi speaking to press
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees:
“If you have very many, you know, violent military action and loss of lives you risk of course many deaths of civilian people, of innocent people, which would be terrible, a humanitarian catastrophe. You risk having at the time when we talk about - you know many people talk about return - you may have fresh displacement, and we are preparing for that eventuality inside Syria. But going back to our discussion today, you risk also sending a message to refugees that the situation is not secure. Refugees we'll be watching very carefully what is happening in Idlib in the next few months.”
7. Wide shot, Grandi speaking to press
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi wrapped his visit to the Middle East with a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon, where he said that the best solution for Syrian refugees remains voluntary repatriation, adding that people should not be forced to go back.
Speaking to reporters in Beirut today (31 Aug), Grandi said his discussions in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon revolved around the evolving situation in Syria, especially the future of millions of people internally displaced as well as the millions of Syrians in neighbouring countries.
He said the situation in Syria is very political but stressed that UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) remains a humanitarian organization “without any political connotation” that is focused on one objective; to support refugees.
The High Commissioner also emphasized that the best solution remains voluntary repatriation.
SOUNDBITE (English) Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees:
“People should not be forced to go back. This is a very important principle of our action which I think is shared in this region by everybody. But also, if somebody wants to go back, this person should be free to go back if it is a free decision, an informed decision, a voluntary decision. So, voluntariness this means all these things.”
Grandi said he raised the issue of confidence building with the Syrian government by addressing the fears and needs of refugees. He said he echoed the Secretary-General’s appeal regarding Idlib to find a solution that spares civilian lives and averts a humanitarian catastrophe. Grandi noted that violent military action not only risks civilian deaths and fresh displacement, but also risks “sending a message to refugees that the situation is not secure.” He added, “Refugees we'll be watching very carefully what is happening in Idlib in the next few months.”
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