Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUnifeed
UN / SYRIA HUMANITARIAN
STORY: UN / SYRIA HUMANITARIAN
TRT: 3:04
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 27 JANUARY 2022, NEW YORK CITY
FILE- NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UN headquarters exterior
27 JANUARY 2022, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, United Nations:
"I start by saying how extremely concerned we are – and I’m sure we all are - about the hundreds of children trapped in a terrifying prison siege in Al-Hasakeh. It is of critical that all children are accounted for, evacuated to safety, and supported. But even if they leave the prison, their future is uncertain. They are not out of danger. Their chance of a family life, or a return to any kind of normal is remote. They need to recover. They need to re-integrate into their communities, and they need to rebuild their lives."
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, United Nations:
"And as the country moves further into its second decade of conflict, and as I have said before, we are failing the Syrian people, young and old. If civilians were protected, sufficient relief provided, and basic social services kept going, we could say we are providing a bare minimum. But we are not even managing that, I regret to say. Failure each year cannot, cannot be our strategy."
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, United Nations:
"People shouldn’t' have to suffer like this every winter. We could and should get them the support they need, a different kind of housing, even if it’s temporary. But, with our current funding, we can help only half of the over four million people across Syria who need protection from the elements and the basics of survival."
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Jan Egeland, Secretary General, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC):
"While Syria has faded from the international headlines, the situation on the ground has gotten dramatically worse. The armed conflicts continue to cause death, destruction, and displacement among civilians, as we have seen in recent days in the northeast - as just portrayed by Martin Griffiths. And the economic crisis, exacerbated by drought, is now so deep that families had this recurrent message when I met them: 'We’ve gone from war to hell'.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Jan Egeland, Secretary General, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC):
"We can, and we must prevent a bloodbath in Idlib. Three million people - extremely vulnerable, live in opposition-controlled areas in the northwest. Tents were buried in snow last week there. And we cannot have a war in what is in reality a gigantic string of displacement camps."
12. Wide shot, Security Council
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said, as Syria moves further into its second decade of conflict, “we are failing the Syrian people, young and old,” and stressed that “failure each year cannot, cannot be our strategy."
Addressing the Security Council today (27 Jan), Griffiths said he was extremely concerned about the hundreds of children trapped in a “terrifying” prison siege in Al-Hasakeh. He added, “It is of critical that all children are accounted for, evacuated to safety, and supported. But even if they leave the prison, their future is uncertain. They are not out of danger. Their chance of a family life, or a return to any kind of normal is remote. They need to recover. They need to re-integrate into their communities, and they need to rebuild their lives."
The Under-Secretary-General said the children in that prison should have never been there in the first place, adding that their predicament echoes that of a whole country.
Griffiths said, “If civilians were protected, sufficient relief provided, and basic social services kept going, we could say we are providing a bare minimum. But we are not even managing that, I regret to say.”
The UN official called on the Council to work with the UN and other key humanitarian agencies on new approaches and to lighten the load on Syrian civilians.
He said hotspots in the conflict continue to claim civilian lives and the the support systems for everyday life are at risk. He reiterated his message that civilians, especially children, and civilian objects must be protected.
On top of the effects of conflict, the UN humanitarian chief said unusually bitter winter storms last week left a trail of destruction. He said displaced people are burning garbage to stay warm, and risk asphyxiation sheltering from sub-zero temperatures in tents.
He said, "People shouldn’t' have to suffer like this every winter. We could and should get them the support they need, a different kind of housing, even if it’s temporary. But, with our current funding, we can help only half of the over four million people across Syria who need protection from the elements and the basics of survival."
Griffiths stressed that, while needs are increasing, international aid resources are declining, despite the generosity of many donors. He said the food aid being provided to millions of people each month is just not enough. However, he noted that despite the daunting circumstances, the international community can continue to make a difference with smart funding and creative humanitarian efforts.
Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), said, "While Syria has faded from the international headlines, the situation on the ground has gotten dramatically worse. The armed conflicts continue to cause death, destruction, and displacement among civilians, as we have seen in recent days in the northeast - as just portrayed by Martin Griffiths. And the economic crisis, exacerbated by drought, is now so deep that families had this recurrent message when I met them: 'We’ve gone from war to hell'.”
Following a recent visit to Syria, Egeland said Syrian civilians feel prisoners of a manmade, political stalemate that has crippled all hope among children and youth. He asked for help from the Council, and from influential powers with parties and actors in the region.
Egeland said, "We can, and we must prevent a bloodbath in Idlib. Three million people - extremely vulnerable, live in opposition-controlled areas in the northwest. Tents were buried in snow last week there. And we cannot have a war in what is in reality a gigantic string of displacement camps."
The NRC chief said all parties to the conflict, including the Russian and Syrian governments, and those who can influence armed opposition groups, including Turkey, must renew their efforts with UN mediators to reach a negotiated solution and prevent a potential bloodbath.
Download
There is no media available to download.
