UN / UNICEF HUMANITARIAN WRAP

Head of emergency operations Louis Georges Arsenault talks about the situation on the ground in Haiti. Emergency Coordinator of UNICEF Supply in Copenhagen Jean-Cédric Meeùs talks about staff deployment and supplies. Haitian Ambassador to the UN Leo Merores talks about how his government is working with UN agencies. UNICEF

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:14
• Production Date: 14 January 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND - UNICEF
• Subject Topical: DISASTER PREVENTION; DISASTER PREPAREDNESS; DISASTER RELIEF; HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
• Geographic Subject: HAITI
• MAMS Id: U100114e

Description

STORY: UN / UNICEF HUMANITARIAN WRAP
TRT: 2:14
SOURCE: UNICEF / MINUSTAH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 13-14 JANUARY 2009, NEW YORK CITY / 14 JANUARY 2009, COPENHAGEN / 13-14 JANUARY 2009, PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI

Shotlist

FILE – UNICEF – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Med shot, exterior UNICEF headquarters

UNICEF - 14 JANUARY 2009, NEW YORK CITY

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Louis-Georges Arsenault, Director of Emergency Programmes, UNICEF:
“Our capacity to be fully operational is hampered by the scale of what has hit Port au Prince and the country but the good news also is that we have supplies that have started to arrive and we also have teams that are moving forward.”

MINUSTAH - 13 JANUARY 2009, PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI

3. Various shots, destroyed MONUC headquarters

UNICEF – 14 JANUARY 2009, COPENHAGEN

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean-Cédric Meeùs, Emergency Co-ordinator, Supply Division, UNICEF:
We also have been approached by such as UPS, British Airways. They will offer us free space on commercial cargo from Europe to Panama or to Miami. From there, through our logistic partners or through our own means we will send the logistics to Port au Prince or Santo Domingo.”

MINUSTAH - 13-14 JANUARY, PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI

5. Aerial shot, collapsed remains of the Montana Hotel

UNICEF - 13 JANUARY 2009, NEW YORK CITY

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Léo Mérorès, Permanent Representative of Haiti to the UN:
What we do know is that the devastation is staggering and the government has mobilized its services in order to help the population at large. This is being done in collaboration with various agencies including UNICEF which are on the ground in Haiti and also other UN agencies, including, WFP and UNDP. They’re working jointly with the government and we do hope that with the assistance of our international community partners who have already indicated their willingness and readiness to help Haiti in its hour of need that the situation will be stabilized fairly soon.”

MINUSTAH - 13-14 JANUARY, PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI

5. Wide shot, UN helicopter leaving on a reconnaissance mission
6. Aerial shot, National Palace in ruins

Storyline

UNICEF is part of a massive international relief effort now under way to assist up to 3.5 million Haitian people affected by Tuesday’s 7.2-magnitude earthquake.
Many aid agencies have suffered significant losses of staff and facilities. More than 100 UN staff are currently unaccounted for in Haiti. UNICEF reported that it was able to contact its entire staff in the country today.

UNICEF’s Director of Emergency Programmes Louis-Georges Arsenault said it has been difficult for the staff to carry out relief work. He added that UNICEF’s capacity to be fully operational is hampered by the scale of the destruction in the country.

The destruction of roads, electric power sources, communications systems and other infrastructure destroyed in many areas is making aid delivery difficult.

Essential supplies from UNICEF’s warehouse in Copenhagen, however, arrived today. UNICEF’s Emergency Co-ordinator in Copenhagen, Jean-Cédric Meeùs, said that UNICEF is not only partnering with other aid agencies but also with private companies such as United Parcel Service (UPS) and British Airways to make sure aid reaches Haiti as soon as possible.

UNICEF has delivered water-purification tablets, tarpaulins and tents for temporary housing, and oral rehydration salts to combat the effects of diarrhoea caused by contaminated water.

At a meeting of the UNICEF Executive Board in New York yesterday, Haiti’s UN Ambassador, Léo Mérorès, formerly a Board Vice-President, spoke about the unfolding tragedy in his homeland and efforts to respond.

Ambassador Mérorès expressed hope that “the situation will be stabilized fairly soon” and his appreciation that UN agencies and other international partners are ready and willing “to assist Haiti in its hour of need.”