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STORY: UN / HIGH COMMISSIONER HUMAN RIGHTS
TRT: 04:33
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 17 OCTOBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior UN Headquarters
17 OCTOBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Various shots, press room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“The number of people at catastrophic levels of hunger is expected to double in the coming months and the risk of famine persists across the whole of Gaza. The world cannot let this happen. This crisis is principally the consequences of decisions made by the Israeli authorities. It is in their power to change the situation urgently. I have previously warned that starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited under international humanitarian law. It constitutes a war crime. As the occupying power, Israel has the specific obligations an international humanitarian law to bring into Gaza the necessary foodstuffs, medical supplies and other articles, and to facilitate humanitarian relief by all means at its disposal.”
4. Wide shot, press room dais
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“There are reports that Israeli forces are preventing humanitarian aid from accessing the north, exacerbating the already desperate humanitarian and medical needs. Israel's evacuation orders appear designed to cut off north Gaza completely from the rest of the territory, as bombing and other attacks continue. There are serious concerns about a large-scale forcible transfer of civilians not meeting the requirements of international law for evacuation on imperative military grounds.”
6. Med shot, journalists
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“In Lebanon is daily strikes on residential buildings in urban areas are taking an appalling toll on civilians with significant numbers of casualties, destruction and displacement. Hizbullah also continues to fire rockets into Israel, where many thousands are displaced from their homes. The risk of a full-fledged regional conflict remains very high, one that could engulf the lives and the human rights of millions of people. This illogic, and I call it illogic of escalation, must end.”
8. Wide shot, press room dais
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“In Ukraine, nearly 1000 days since Russia's full-scale invasion, we continue to see terrible devastation characterised by recurring human rights violations and war crimes. July 2024 was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since October 2022, as we documented through my office’s work on the ground. And with the ongoing attacks on crucial energy infrastructure, I fear for Ukrainians this coming winter.”
10. Med shot, journalists
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“In Sudan, the warring parties, affiliated groups and regional actors continue to compete for influence and power, forcing a staggering 10 million people to flee their homes and leaving more than 25 million people facing acute hunger. The situation is desperate, and there is evidence of the commission of war crimes and other atrocity crimes. And I urge states to seize military and financial support for the warring parties and to continue mediation efforts towards an immediate cessation of hostilities.”
12. Wide shot, press room dais
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“War can only truly end when respect for human rights re-establishes reason, justice and compassion. As I told the General Assembly Third Committee yesterday, investment in human rights is investment in peace and it is more essential than ever. When my office rings warning bells, as we have over many years for all the situations that I referred to above, the international community needs to listen and act to avert catastrophe.”
14. Wide shot, end of presser
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, today (17 Oct) told journalists in New York that “the number of people at catastrophic levels of hunger is expected to double in the coming months and the risk of famine persists across the whole of Gaza,” and added that “this crisis is principally the consequences of decisions made by the Israeli authorities.”
Following the presentation of his annual report to the General Assembly, Türk said, “starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited under international humanitarian law. It constitutes a war crime. As the occupying power, Israel has the specific obligations an international humanitarian law to bring into Gaza the necessary foodstuffs, medical supplies and other articles, and to facilitate humanitarian relief by all means at its disposal.”
He said, “there are reports that Israeli forces are preventing humanitarian aid from accessing the north, exacerbating the already desperate humanitarian and medical needs,” adding that Israel's evacuation orders “appear designed to cut off north Gaza completely from the rest of the territory, as bombing and other attacks continue.”
Turning to Lebanon, the High Commissioner said Israeli “daily strikes on residential buildings in urban areas are taking an appalling toll on civilians with significant numbers of casualties, destruction and displacement,” while “Hizbullah also continues to fire rockets into Israel, where many thousands are displaced from their homes.”
He stressed that the risk of a full-fledged regional conflict “remains very high, one that could engulf the lives and the human rights of millions of people,” and added that the “illogic of escalation, must end.”
On the Ukraine war, Türk said, “nearly 1000 days since Russia's full-scale invasion, we continue to see terrible devastation characterised by recurring human rights violations and war crimes,” and noted that July 2024 was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since October 2022
He said, “with the ongoing attacks on crucial energy infrastructure, I fear for Ukrainians this coming winter.”
On the situation in Sudan, the High Commissioner said, “the warring parties, affiliated groups and regional actors continue to compete for influence and power, forcing a staggering 10 million people to flee their homes and leaving more than 25 million people facing acute hunger.”
He said, “the situation is desperate, and there is evidence of the commission of war crimes and other atrocity crimes.”
Türk said, “when my office rings warning bells, as we have over many years for all the situations that I referred to above, the international community needs to listen and act to avert catastrophe.”
