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UN / IDLIB KENNEDY
STORY: UN / IDLIB KENNEDY
TRT: 02:10
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 03 MARCH 2020, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior UN headquarters
03 MARCH 2020, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, dais
3. Wide shot, reporters
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Kevin Kennedy, Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis:
“We are confronted with a very major humanitarian crisis, probably the biggest crisis we have in the world today. The numbers can be overwhelming, a bit staggering. But essentially there are little over three million people caught in the Idlib pocket in north-western Syria, and of that three million, approaching one million have been displaced within Idlib to move to a safer and secure location.”
5. Med shot, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Kevin Kennedy, Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis:
“I was happy to see today that the United Kingdom announced a donation of 89 million pounds, and the United States today at the Bab Al-hawa crossing announced a donation of 108 million dollars. But, sad to say, I think we still have a long way to go. The needs are overwhelming.”
7. Med shot, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Kevin Kennedy, Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis:
“(There have been) several reported airstrikes or artillery shelling – sometimes you can’t tell the difference – over the past months in various places in Southern Idlib. When we can verify them, we’ve done that. I think the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which I think has a very rigorous system of verifying incidents such as these, has reported on several incidents publicly. So, it has happened. And obviously something where these people have no bomb shelters to go to. They are out in the open. As the fighting has intensified in Southern Idlib towards Idlib City, which is a regular city, I saw reports this afternoon that there have been airstrikes or artillery shelling - I am not sure by whom, I can guess but I am not certain - where nine were killed and 21 were injured. And of course, if you fire heavy munitions into a built-up area, you will have civilian casualties. And this has been a constant feature of this war.”
9. Wide shot, presser
Briefing reporters on the situation in Syria by video-link, Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis Kevin Kennedy, today (3 Mar) told reporters in New York that north-western Syria is facing “probably the biggest crisis we have in the world today.
Kennedy said, “the numbers can be overwhelming, a bit staggering. But essentially there are little over three million people caught in the Idlib pocket in north-western Syria, and of that three million, approaching one million have been displaced within Idlib to move to a safer and secure location.”
The humanitarian coordinator welcomed the announcements by the United Kingdom and the United States of donations for the humanitarian response but noted that “we still have a long way to go” as “the needs are overwhelming.”
Kennedy said there have been “several reported airstrikes or artillery shelling” on displaced camps and added that “these people have no bomb shelters to go to. They are out in the open.”
He said that there were reports this afternoon “that there have been airstrikes or artillery shelling - I am not sure by whom, I can guess but I am not certain - where nine were killed and 21 were injured.”
Of course, he said, “if you fire heavy munitions into a built-up area, you will have civilian casualties. And this has been a constant feature of this war.”
In a statement issued today, UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock noted that with 500 million US dollars of funding, OCHA will be able to reach 1.1 million of the most vulnerable.
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