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STORY: UN / YEMEN CHIDLREN
TRT: 02:16
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 08 JUNE 2017, NEW YORK CITY
07 JUNE 2017, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UNHQ exterior
08 JUNE 2017, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, press room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Geert Cappelaere, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
“I think today there is for a child, boy or girl, not much worse places to grow up than in Yemen. The situation in Yemen is extremely dire.”
4. Med shot, journalist asking question
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Geert Cappelaere, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
“The situation is more dramatic because the systems that are usually there to prevent or to treat cholera unfortunately are on the verge, I would even say half collapsed. Half of the health system in Yemen today is not functional any longer. Those other half that are still functioning partially are functioning on a zero budget.”
6. Wide shot, journalists
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Geert Cappelaere, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
“Children have suffered enough. Half a million severely acute malnourished, 100,000 cholera cases, it is simply endless. Close to two million kids will not go to school anymore. It is high time that all those who are responsible realise that the country is at the verge of collapse; that one of Yemen’s biggest assets, its children, are getting killed.”
8. Med shot, journalist asking question
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Geert Cappelaere, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
“I have been extremely clear to all sides what for us, as UNICEF, it will take to prevent further outbreaks and to treat the children. Both parties have listened, have acknowledged, and two days ago I have had a commitment from the Foreign Minister of the recognized government that they would be committed to pay again the salaries.”
10. Wide shot, press room
UNICEF’s Director for the Middle East Geert Cappelaere said there was “not much worse places” for a child to grow up than Yemen describing the situation in the country as “extremely dire.”
Speaking to reporters in New York today (08 Jun) following a visit to the country, Cappelaere said the number of children suffering from severely acute malnutrition in Yemen was now about 500,000 up from 250,000 four years ago when he last visited. He added that the country was also being hit by a massive cholera outbreak with 100,000 reported cases, 40 percent of whom are children. He said UNICEF and its partners estimated that the number could reach 250,000 to 300,000 with 3,000 to 5,000 cases being added to their work load daily.
Cappelaere noted that the “half collapsed” health system in Yemen made the situation “more dramatic” adding that half the health facilities in the country were not functional and the other half were partially functioning on “zero budget.” He commended the health workers providing care despite not being paid for over eight months. The Regional Director said he spoke to all the sides to the conflict regarding the cholera outbreak and two days ago received “commitment from the Foreign Minister of the recognized government that they would be committed to pay again the salaries.”
Cappelaere stressed people in Yemen are fighting for survival and were now turning to negative coping mechanisms, which effect children the most. He said, over the past few months, the number of girls being married under the age of 18 has risen by 20 percent and the number of boys out of school and in the labour market skyrocketed. He said children in Yemen “have suffered enough” adding that it was “high time that all those who are responsible realise that the country is at the verge of collapse; that one of Yemen’s biggest assets, its children, are getting killed.”
