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STORY: GENEVA / YEMEN UPDATE
TRT: 02:28
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 07 NOVEMBER 2017, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
07 NOVEMBER 2017, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, Palais des Nations exterior
2. Wide shot, press room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Laerke, Spokesperson, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“Humanitarian operations are being blocked as a result of the closure ordered by the Saudi-led coalition. The Coalition has requested the United Nations verification and inspection mechanism to inform all commercial vessels at Hodeidah and Saleef ports to leave. Movement is also restricted. UN humanitarian flights to and from Yemen have been on hold since yesterday.”
4. Close up, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Laerke, Spokesperson, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“Between 80 and 90 percent of food imports are coming in through these ports, prior to the crisis. And if these channels, these lifelines, are not kept open, it is catastrophic for people who are already in what we have already labelled the world’s worst humanitarian crisis at the moment. So, this is an access problem of colossal dimensions right now.”
6. Med shot, journalist
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We are deeply concerned by a series of attacks in Yemen over the past week that have killed dozens of civilians including several children, and we appeal to all parties to respect international law governing armed conflict.”
8. Close up, journalist
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid bin Ra’ad al-Hussein said he will soon be appointing the members of the group of eminent experts recently established by the Human Rights Council and mandated to carry out a comprehensive examination of all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights and international law committed by all parties to the conflict and where possible to identify those responsible.”
10. Close up, journalist’s hands
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Fedela Chaib, Spokesperson, World Health Organization (WHO):
“The situation in Yemen is really very bad, it’s also battling a very serious cholera outbreak. Since months, we are trying to stop it. We are seeing some progress in the decrease in cases, especially in cases of death. But not having access to all the government of Yemen will certainly impact our operation.”
12. Medium shot, journalists
13. Medium shot, journalist
14 Medium shot, journalists
15. Close up, journalist
A UN humanitarian office (OCHA) spokesperson said the closure of key ports in Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition is “an access problem of colossal dimensions.”
Addressing reporters in Geneva today (07 Nov), OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke said humanitarian operations are being blocked as a “result of the closure ordered by the Saudi-led coalition.”
He said the Coalition had requested that the UN inform all commercial vessels at Hodeidah and Saleef ports to leave adding that UN humanitarian flights to and from Yemen “have been on hold since yesterday.”
Laerke said the closure has stopped lifesaving aid from reaching over seven million people. He said between 80 and 90 percent of food imports were coming into Yemen through these ports. The spokesperson stressed that if these “lifelines are not kept open, it is catastrophic for people who are already in what we have already labelled the world’s worst humanitarian crisis at the moment.”
Monday’s closure is especially concerning for humanitarian aid agencies who have been fighting against the spread of cholera in the country. World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Fedela Chaib described the situation as “really very bad.” She said WHO been trying to stop the cholera outbreak in the country for months and has seen some progress, “but not having access to all the government of Yemen will certainly impact our operation.”
UN agencies following the conflict are also deeply concerned by frequent airstrikes causing scores of civilian deaths. According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the total number of civilian casualties since March 2015 stands at 14,168, including 5,295 people killed and 8,873 injured. OHCHR spokesperson Rupert Colville said his office is “deeply concerned by a series of attacks in Yemen over the past week that have killed dozens of civilians including several children.” He appealed to all parties to respect international law governing armed conflict.
OHCHR reported that a UN Human Rights team recently visited Yemen to meet with the de-facto authorities in Sana’a and Government officials in Aden to reiterate the concerns raised by the High Commissioner in his recent report to the Human Rights Council. Colville said High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein will soon be appointing the members of the Group of Eminent
Experts which was recently established by the Human Rights Council and mandated “to carry out a comprehensive examination of all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights and international law committed by all parties to the conflict and where possible to identify those responsible.”
UN aid agencies continue to emphasize that humanitarian aid is not the solution to Yemen’s humanitarian catastrophe and that a peace process and a political solution is required.
