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STORY: GENEVA / SYRIA
TRT: 1:56
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE:31 AUGUST 2017 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide Shot, UN Human Rights Head Quarters Palais Wilson
2. Wide shot, Human Rights Officer stepping into the office
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Matthias Behnke, Coordinator, UN Human Rights Syria Team:
“What we are witnessing essentially right now in Raqqa is a fight by the coalition and other forces against ISIL, the so called Islamic State. In the town of Raqqa we have approximately, 20,000 civilians trapped in the city. They are surrounded by opposing forces to ISIL and they are being prevented from fleeing by ISIL. We have seen a number of civilian casualties as a result of the airstrikes and we are increasing concerned about their plight.”
4. Close up, clasped hands
5. Zoom out, tilt to face
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Matthias Behnke, Coordinator, UN Human Rights Syria Team:
“There needs to be a way of getting them out, those who want to flee need to be able to do so in safety. Secondly, what we are saying is that everything then needs to be done accordance with international law to protect the civilians who remain. Even if fighting is going on, civilians have a protective status and fighting forces have obligations under international law to not hit civilians and protect them – and distinguish fighters from civilians.”
7. Med shot, Matthias Behnke
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Matthias Behnke, Coordinator, UN Human Rights Syria Team:
“Today the High Commissioner issued a statement expressing concern, and we are listing six cases where more than 20 people civilians were killed. We have the names of all those individuals including women and children. It is up to 151 people that we have registered, just in these major incidents but there are also many others.”
9. Med shot, hands
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Matthias Behnke, Coordinator, UN Human Rights Syria Team:
“We are concerned that not enough is being done to adhere to international law requirements for the protection of civilians.”
11. Med shot, Matthias Behnke
The UN said that the battle to regain Al-Raqqa and Deir-ez-Zor from ISIL must not be waged at the expense of the lives of civilians trapped and besieged in these areas.
Speaking to reporter on Thursday (31 Aug) in Geneva, Matthias Behnke, Coordinator at UN Human Rights Syria Team said: “What we are witnessing essentially right now in Raqqa is a fight by the coalition and other forces against ISIL, the so called Islamic State. In the town of Raqqa we have approximately, 20,000 civilians trapped in the city. They are surrounded by opposing forces to ISIL and they are being prevented from fleeing by ISIL. We have seen a number of civilian casualties as a result of the airstrikes and we are increasing concerned about their plight.”
Matthias said “There needs to be a way of getting them out, those who want to flee need to be able to do so in safety. Secondly, what we are saying is that everything then needs to be done accordance with international law to protect the civilians who remain. Even if fighting is going on, civilians have a protective status and fighting forces have obligations under international law to not hit civilians and protect them – and distinguish fighters from civilians.”
Matthias stressed the concerns that “not enough is being done to adhere to international law requirements for the protection of civilians.”
Between 1 and 29 August, the Coalition reports that it conducted 1,094 airstrikes on and near Raqqa city– up from 645 in July. In July, throughout all of Syria, a total of 885 airstrikes were conducted by the Coalition. The Russian air force reported publicly that it had carried out 990 combat flights in Syria from 1 to 21 August and that 2,518 aviation strikes had been conducted.
Airstrikes and ground-based strikes on Raqqa have resulted in a large number of civilians casualties. While it is difficult to get a full picture, the UN Human Rights Office has managed to verify the following incidents since 1 August 2017 in each of which more than 20 civilians were reportedly killed in each incident – totaling 151 civilian death.
