UN / SYRIA PEDERSEN

In his address to the Security Council today, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen appealed for all Syrian warring parties “to carry out unilateral releases of detainees and abductees, and meaningful actions on missing persons - at a scale that is commensurate with the scope of this tragic issue.” UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:56
• Production Date: 23 July 2020
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: GEIR PEDERSEN
• Corporate Name: SECURITY COUNCIL
• Subject Topical: PEACE AND SECURITY
• Geographic Subject: SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 2551914
• Parent Id: 2551914
• Alternate Title: unifeed200723a

Description

STORY: UN / SYRIA PEDERSEN
TRT: 2:56
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /NATS

DATELINE: 23 JULY 2020, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

FILE - RECENT - NEW YORK CITY

1. Med shot, UN flag

23 JULY 2020, NEW YORK CITY

2. Split screen, Security Council in virtual meeting
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir O. Pedersen, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria:
“I want to begin with a loud and clear appeal for the Syrian government and all other Syrian parties to carry out unilateral releases of detainees and abductees, and meaningful actions on missing persons - at a scale that is commensurate with the scope of this tragic issue. Without addressing this issue, true reconciliation, the healing of society’s wounds, credible justice and sustainable peace will remain elusive.”
4. Split screen, Security Council in virtual meeting
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir O. Pedersen, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria:
“Syrians are now being hit by yet another tsunami of suffering - economic collapse. Over the last month, Syria’s currency has regained some of its lost value, but still remains significantly depreciated relative to last year. And by almost any other measure we see a downward spiral: rampant inflation, rising unemployment, weakened demand, more businesses shutting down, increased food insecurity with families skipping meals, and shortages of medicine.”
6. Split screen, Security Council in virtual meeting
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir O. Pedersen, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria:
“We also now see a rise in reported cases of COVID-19, exacerbating Syria’s economic malaise and further constraining the humanitarian response. Testing remains extremely limited, particularly in areas outside government control. As of yesterday- 22 July. the Syrian Ministry of Health has confirmed 561 cases – a relatively low figure, but still more than double the cases since my last briefing. And the geographical spread of the virus is increasing, penetrating more areas outside of Damascus, including the first 22 cases in north-west Syria, as well as 6 cases in the north-east.
8. Split screen, Security Council in virtual meeting
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir O. Pedersen, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria:
“Humanitarian access is ever more imperative. Echoing the Secretary General, I want to call on all parties to the conflict to ensure humanitarian access to all people in need in accordance with international humanitarian law”. I take note of this Council’s decision to extend the UN cross-border mechanism in northwest Syria via the Bab al-Hawa border crossing for twelve months.”
10. Split screen, Security Council in virtual meeting

Storyline

In his address to the Security Council today (23 Jul), the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen appealed for all Syrian warring parties “to carry out unilateral releases of detainees and abductees, and meaningful actions on missing persons - at a scale that is commensurate with the scope of this tragic issue.”

“Without addressing this issue,” Pedersen said, “true reconciliation, the healing of society’s wounds, credible justice and sustainable peace will remain elusive.”

Since his last briefing to the Council just over a month ago, the economic situation in the country has deteriorated, according to the UN Special Envoy.

“Syrians are now being hit by yet another tsunami of suffering - economic collapse,” Pedersen said.

Although the Syria’s currency has regained some of its lost value over the last month, it still remains significantly depreciated relative to last year.

“By almost any other measure we see a downward spiral: rampant inflation, rising unemployment, weakened demand, more businesses shutting down, increased food insecurity with families skipping meals, and shortages of medicine,” he said.

The coronavirus pandemic is also on the rise in Syria.

“We also now see a rise in reported cases of COVID-19, Pedersen continued, “exacerbating Syria’s economic malaise and further constraining the humanitarian response.”

As of 22 July, the Syrian Ministry of Health has confirmed 561 cases – more than double since the last report by the Special Envoy on 16 June.

“Testing remains extremely limited, particularly in areas outside government control,” Pedersen said. “And the geographical spread of the virus is increasing, penetrating more areas outside of Damascus, including the first 22 cases in north-west Syria, as well as 6 cases in the north-east.”

“Humanitarian access is ever more imperative,” said the Special Envoy echoing the UN Secretary General’s “call on all parties to the conflict to ensure humanitarian access to all people in need in accordance with international humanitarian law”.

Pedersen also said he had took note “of this Council’s decision to extend the UN cross-border mechanism in northwest Syria via the Bab al-Hawa border crossing for twelve months.”

He also reiterated the Secretary General’s appeal from earlier this year, for the waiver of sanctions that can undermine the capacity of the country to ensure access to food, essential health supplies and COVID-19 medical support to respond to the pandemic.