GENEVA / SYRIA KURDISTAN AID UPDATE

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20 August 2013

The influx of Syrians intoIraq’sKurdistanregion continues, with the number of refugees who have crossed the border since last week now estimated to have surpassed 30,000. A major humanitarian operation is underway with UN aid agencies sending truck loads of food, shelter and sanitation materials to the refugees. (CH UNTV / RECENT)

Description

STORY: GENEVA / SYRIA KURDISTAN AID UPDATE
TRT: 2.36
SOURCE: CH UNTV / UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 20 AUGUST 2013, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

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Shotlist

RECENT, 2013, PALAIS DES NATIONS, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Wide shot, exterior Palais des Nations

20 AUGUST 2013, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2. Wide shot, Press Room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Marixie Mercado, Spokesperson, UNICEF:
“Of the estimated 4,800 people who crossed the border from Syria into Iraq’s Kurdistan region yesterday, at least 2,100 were children.”
4. Cutaway, press
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Marixie Mercado, Spokesperson, UNICEF:
“Yesterday afternoon, UNICEF staff could see a stream of people still making their way through the check points between Syria and Iraq.”
6. Cutaway, press
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dan McNorton, Spokesperson, UNHCR:
“Since Thursday of last week around 30,000 Syrians have streamed into northern Iraq fleeing communities across a wide swathe of northern Syria.”
8. Cutaway, press
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Dan McNorton, Spokesperson, UNHCR:
“With several tens of thousands of people having crossed since last week, this new exodus from Syria is among the largest we have so far seen during the conflict, which is now into its third year. As well as people who told us they were fleeing recent bombings, others say they were escaping fighting and tension amongst various factions on the ground. Also cited was the collapse of the economy due to war and the resulting difficulties in caring for their families."
10. Cutaway, press
11. SOUNDBITE (French) Elisabeth Byrs, Spokesperson, WFP:
“WFP is quite concerned about the situation. The influx is expected to continue with reports that there are more than 100,000 IDPs on the Syrian side of the border.”
12. Cutaway, press
13. SOUNDBITE (French) Elisabeth Byrs, Spokesperson, WFP:
“WFP is mobilizing 37,000 family food rations – enough to feed 185,000 people for one month from the port of Mersin in Turkey for immediate dispatch to north Iraq.”
14. Med shot, press

RECENT – UNHCR - 17 AUGUST 2013, PESHKHABOUR BRIDGE, NORTHERN IRAQ

15. Various shots, Syrian refugees at the Peshkhabour border bridge in northern iraq receving aid

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Storyline

The United Nation (UN) refugee agency (UNHCR) said that some 30,000 Syrians have streamed into northern Iraq since last week and thousands more were waiting to enter, fleeing communities across a wide swathe of northern Syria.

UNHCR’s spokesman Dan McNorton told reporters today in Geneva that tens of thousands of people had crossed since last week, making this new exodus from Syria among the "largest we have so far seen during the conflict, which is now into its third year."

McNorton also said that as of this morning, “a further 2,000 to 3,000 people were reported waiting close to the Syrian side of the border, and expected to cross today.

The influx began last Thursday (15 August) when the Kurdistan Regional Government authorities in northern Iraq suddenly opened access to the temporary Peshkhabour pontoon bridge north of Sahela, allowing several hundred people camped in the area since earlier last week to enter Iraq.

UNICEF spokesperson Marixie Mercado said that almost half of those crossing yesterday were children, she said, “of the estimated 4,800 people who crossed the border from Syria into Iraq’s Kurdistan region yesterday, at least 2,100 were children.”

Almost 2 million Syrians have fled the country to neighbouring states of Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq since the uprising began in 2011.

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