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UN / LIBYA
STORY: UN / LIBYA
TRT: 2:24
SOURCE: UNTV / OCHA
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGAUGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 9 MAY 2011, UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
RECENT - UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior UN headquarters
9 MAY 2011, UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council meeting
3. Cutaway, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations:
“Widespread shortages are paralyzing the country in ways which will impact gravely on the general population in the months ahead, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable. We do not have yet an accurate figure of the total number of causalities since the start of the crisis. The longer the current situation continues, the graver the humanitarian situation will become. With this in mind, the United Nations has established a humanitarian presence in both Benghazi and Tripoli.”
5. Cutaway, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations:
“In Mistrata, which is at the forefront of our concerns, shelling and fighting has been ongoing in parts of the city for over two months. Stocks are available, but some people are running short of food, water and other basics. Medical facilities need supplies as is more trained personnel.”
7. Cutaway, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations:
“Despite the repeated request of the Secretary-General and the international community as a while, civilians are still coming under fire in these conflict areas. This has to stop. The Security Council must continue to insist all parties respect international humanitarian law and ensure civilians are spared. Reported use of cluster bombs, sea and land mines, as well as deaths and injuries caused by aerial bombing show a callous disregard for the physical and psychological well bring of civilians.”
9. Cutaway, delegates
10. Wide shot, end of meeting
11. Med shot, Amos walking to media stakeout
12. Cutaway, journalists
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations:
“We were expecting to go in with a mission into Deraa yesterday. That was postponed by the government and I’m seeking some more information about why. We also have been assured that they can go in later this week which I very much hope will be possible.”
FILE - 5 MARCH 2011, TUNISIA – LIBYAN BORDER
13. Various shots, Under-Secretary-General Valerie Amos at border
United Nations (UN) humanitarian chief Valerie Amos warned today (9 May) that “widespread shortages are paralyzing” Libya “in ways which will impact gravely on the general population in the months ahead.”
Addressing the Security Council during a formal meeting on Libya, Amos added that “the longer the current situation continues, the graver the humanitarian situation will become.”
According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affair (OCHA), a UN department that Amos heads, as of early this month, over 710,000 people had fled the country, including 263,000 third country nationals. Some 6,000 people remain stranded at border points in Egypt, Tunisia and Niger.
And approximately 58,000 internally displaced people are living in spontaneous settlements in eastern areas of Libya.
The recent shelling of the Libyan port city of Misrata has further hampered the delivery humanitarian supplies arriving in vessels.
Amos said that Misrata, where “shelling and fighting has been ongoing in parts of the city for over two months” is at the “forefront of our concerns.”
On 4 May, Government of Libya forces directed rockets at the Misrata port area, resulting in seven civilian casualties and 17 injured. Artillery shelling of the port was also reported on 5 May.
Amos called on the Security Council to “continue to insist all parties respect international humanitarian law and ensure civilians are spared.”
She added that “reported use of cluster bombs, sea and land mines, as well as deaths and injuries caused by aerial bombing show a callous disregard for the physical and psychological well bring of civilians.”
Amos spoke to the press following further Security Council consultations on Libya. When asked about the situation in Syria, she said that she is looking into why a UN assessment team’s mission to southern city of Deraa has been postponed. She added that, however, there has been assurance from the Syrian government that the mission “can go in later this week.”
Earlier today, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated his calls for an immediate end to the violence in Syria and for an independent inquiry into the numerous killings during recent protests amid fresh reports of deadly clashes in the Middle East country.
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