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UN PhotoGENEVA / GAZA RAFAH CROSSING INTERVIEW
STORY: GENEVA / GAZA RAFAH CROSSING INTERVIEW
TRT: 3:01
SOURCE: UNTV CH / FILE
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT OCHA BROLL ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 12 FEBRUARY 2026 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE
FILE – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, exterior, Palais des Nations, Flag Alley
FILE – OCHA – 17 AUGUST 2025, GAZA
2. Med shot, destroyed ambulances near Nasser hospital
12 FEBRUARY 2026 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Cherevko, spokesperson of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza:
“In terms of Rafah reopening, the partial reopening of this crossing was a welcome move. However, we have to stress that just like with all other additional crossings that could be reopened, it needs to be a fully functioning humanitarian corridor, which means that supplies must be able to enter, that the commercial sector must be able to operate through it, and of course, the movement of people in both directions must be enabled.”
FILE – OCHA - 18 OCTOBER 2025, GAZA STRIP
4. Wide shot, destroyed building in Gaza
12 FEBRUARY 2026 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Cherevko, spokesperson of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza:
“Some of the limitations that we continue to face are related to the types of materials that are restricted. A lot of times, they're considered what is called dual-use materials. These materials are actually very critical for us to address the problem at its root, which means we need specific equipment to clear rubble, for example, which would give more land available to provide shelter to people.”
FILE – OCHA – 18 OCTOBER 2025, GAZA
6. Various shots, UN convoy moving through the ruins of Gaza
12 FEBRUARY 2026 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Cherevko, spokesperson of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza:
“Same thing with other shelter materials. We can give everybody a tent, but with the next storm, with the next wind and rain, that tent will be blown away, because it's just not a sustainable solution. So, for us, to actually address this issue more meaningfully, we need timber, we need cement, we need tools, and all of those things are difficult to bring in. They are restricted and they are part of this dual-use kind of section.”
FILE – OCHA – 18 OCTOBER 2025, GAZA
7. Various shots, UN convoy moving through the ruins of Gaza
12 FEBRUARY 2026 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Cherevko, spokesperson of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza:
“These very, very disturbing continuation of these strikes that are impacting civilians, we of course, we have always said that even if the operations continue, military operations may be continuing, but it is imperative that civilians and civilian infrastructure are always protected.”
FILE – OCHA - 18 OCTOBER 2025, GAZA
10. Various shots, UN convoy moving through the ruins of Gaza
12 FEBRUARY 2026 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Cherevko, spokesperson of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza:
“I believe yesterday (11 Feb) we actually heard that another UNRWA staff member was killed. So, we are now basically at around 400 UN staff, who have been killed since 2023, which is unthinkable, if you really give it a thought, that almost 400 specifically UN staff members have been killed in these two-plus years.”
FILE – OCHA – 18 OCTOBER 2025, GAZA CITY
12. Med shot, people next to food distribution by the Qatar Foundation
OCHA spokesperson in Gaza Olga Cherevko welcomed the partial reopening of the Rafah crossing, reiterating, “it needs to be a fully functioning humanitarian corridor, which means that supplies must be able to enter, the commercial sector must be able to operate through it, the movement of people in both directions must be enabled.”
In an interview via teleconference on Thursday (12 Feb), the OCHA Spokesperson in Gaza pointed out that there are still restrictions on some types of materials to be allowed getting into the Strip via the crossing.
Cherevko explained, “A lot of times, they're considered what is called dual-use materials. These materials are actually very critical for us to address the problem at its root, which means we need specific equipment to clear rubble, for example, which would give more land available to provide shelter to people.”
The spokesperson also said, “same thing with other shelter materials. We can give everybody a tent, but with the next storm, with the next wind and rain, that tent will be blown away, because it's just not a sustainable solution.”
She continued, “for us, to actually address this issue more meaningfully, we need timber, we need cement, we need tools, and all of those things are difficult to bring in. They are restricted and they are part of this dual-use kind of section.”
Cherevko also highlighted the “very, very disturbing” continuation of strikes that are impacting civilians.
She said, “we of course, we have always said that even if the operations continue, military operations may be continuing, but it is imperative that civilians and civilian infrastructure are always protected.”
The OCHA spokesperson also said that on Wednesday (11 Feb), "we actually heard that another UNRWA staff member was killed. So, we are now basically at around 400 UN staff, who have been killed since 2023, which is unthinkable, if you really give it a thought, that almost 400 specifically UN staff members have been killed in these two-plus years.”
