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STORY: UN / GAZA HUMANITARIAN
TRT: 05:29
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 05 APRIL 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UN Headquarters
05 APRIL 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Various shots, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of Coordination, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“There is no protection of civilians in Gaza. And if they have no protection from the dangers of armed conflict there, they must be allowed to seek it elsewhere. Some Palestinians in Gaza have already left through Egypt, and we know more are trying. It is vital to recall that any persons displaced from Gaza must be guaranteed the right to voluntarily return, as international law demands.”
4. Wide shot, Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of Coordination, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“Sadly, we cannot say that this tragic attack was an isolated incident in this conflict. They join more than 220 of our humanitarian colleagues who have been killed, 179 of them UN personnel, including many along with their families. I echo the Secretary-General’s deep concern about clear violations international humanitarian law that we are witnessing. Allegations of serious violations must be investigated, and the suspects prosecuted.”
6. Wide shot, Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of Coordination, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“And a serious limiting factor is that UNRWA – the backbone of the humanitarian response – has not been allowed to operate in the north of Gaza. If we are to stave off famine and address the unconscionably catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, UNRWA – and indeed all impartial humanitarian organisations – must have safe, rapid, unimpeded access to all civilians in need. There is simply no replacement for the services UNRWA provides.”
8. Wide shot, Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Janti Soeripto, President and Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children US
“More children have been killed in this conflict and have been killed in all armed conflicts globally every year, over the past four years. And children are not small adults. They have a special status in conflict, specific vulnerabilities, and an additional set of rights afforded to them, and distinct obligations owed to them. They must be protected. Yet children have been taken hostage. Thousands of children have been maimed, their limbs ripped from them by explosive weapons, mutilated by bullets, burned, crushed, or struck down by preventable disease. Inevitably, after months of systemic and deliberate denial of humanitarian access, children are now dying from malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza, denied food and water by an illegal blockade. They've been starved to death.”
10. Wide shot, Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Janti Soeripto, President and Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children USA
“I know resolutions passed in this room do not immediately lead to changed behaviour on the ground. I saw that very vividly myself last week in Gaza bombings. Bombings in Rafah seem to intensify the evening after resolution 2728 passed. Ceasefires or peace only happen when men with guns want it, or when it seems the better option for them. But what happens in this room does matter for accountability for setting standards we expect everyone to abide by. Therefore, we also call upon the Secretary General to list all parties to the conflict as perpetrators of grave violations against children in the upcoming annual report on Children and Armed Conflict.”
12. Various shots, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour addressing the Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer to the United Nations, Palestine:
“The killing of the aid workers from the World Central Kitchen is not an isolated incident. It is confirmation of what you all knew for months now. Israel is targeting those that the laws of war were established to protect. Israel knew very well who it was targeting. Hitting three cars in three locations despite the fact that they were identifiable and had coordinated with Israel the delivery of aid.”
14. Wide shot, Council
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer to the United Nations, Palestine:
“History will remember that Israel continues to be present within these walls while trying to bring down the UN and the international law-based order this organisation stands for.”
16. Wide shot, Council
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Israel:
“There is no question that this event was not deliberate. The military standard operating procedure was violated, but it was the result of a tragic mistake made due to Hamas's cynical modus operandi to exploit civilian infrastructure and vehicles. Israel will learn from this investigation and take every effort to ensure that such a tragedy is not repeated.”
18. Wide shot, Council
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Israel:
“The UN agencies failed to establish an effective distribution mechanism, but rather than taking responsibility, they blame Israel. Nevertheless, despite the lies, Israel is committed to making every effort to facilitate aid.”
20. Zoom out, end of Council session
Six months since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, a United Nations humanitarian official today (5 Apr) told the Security Council that “there is no protection of civilians in Gaza,” and said that “sadly,” it cannot be said that the killing of 7 World Central Kitchen aid workers “was an isolated incident in this conflict.”
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Director of Coordination, Ramesh Rajasingham, said Palestinian civilians “must be allowed” to seek protection elsewhere.
He noted that “some Palestinians in Gaza have already left through Egypt, and we know more are trying” and stressed that “any persons displaced from Gaza must be guaranteed the right to voluntarily return, as international law demands.”
Rajasingham recalled that “more than 220 of our humanitarian colleagues who have been killed, 179 of them UN personnel, including many of them with their families,” and said, “allegations of serious violations must be investigated, and the suspects prosecuted.”
The humanitarian official said “UNRWA – the backbone of the humanitarian response – has not been allowed to operate in the north of Gaza. If we are to stave off famine and address the unconscionably catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, UNRWA – and indeed all impartial humanitarian organisations – must have safe, rapid, unimpeded access to all civilians in need.”
He pointed out that “there is simply no replacement for the services UNRWA provides.”
Also briefing the Council, Janti Soeripto, President and Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children USA, said, “more children have been killed in this conflict and have been killed in all armed conflicts globally every year, over the past four years. And children are not small adults. They have a special status in conflict, specific vulnerabilities, and an additional set of rights afforded to them, and distinct obligations owed to them. They must be protected.”
Yet, Soeripto said, “children have been taken hostage. Thousands of children have been maimed, their limbs ripped from them by explosive weapons, mutilated by bullets, burned, crushed, or struck down by preventable disease. Inevitably, after months of systemic and deliberate denial of humanitarian access, children are now dying from malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza, denied food and water by an illegal blockade. They've been starved to death.”
She said, “what happens in this room does matter for accountability for setting standards we expect everyone to abide by,” and called upon the Secretary General “to list all parties to the conflict as perpetrators of grave violations against children in the upcoming annual report on Children and Armed Conflict.”
Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the Council that “the killing of the aid workers from the World Central Kitchen is not an isolated incident. It is confirmation of what you all knew for months now. Israel is targeting those that the laws of war were established to protect. Israel knew very well who it was targeting. Hitting three cars in three locations despite the fact that they were identifiable and had coordinated with Israel the delivery of aid.”
Mansour said, “history will remember that Israel continues to be present within these walls while trying to bring down the UN and the international law-based order this organisation stands for.”
For his part, Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan said, “there is no question that this event was not deliberate. The military standard operating procedure was violated, but it was the result of a tragic mistake made due to Hamas's cynical modus operandi to exploit civilian infrastructure and vehicles. Israel will learn from this investigation and take every effort to ensure that such a tragedy is not repeated.”
He said that while Israel makes every effort to facilitate the delivery of aid, “UN agencies failed to establish an effective distribution mechanism, but rather than taking responsibility, they blame Israel.”
Nevertheless, Erdan said, “despite the lies, Israel is committed to making every effort to facilitate aid.”
