26 Jan 2011

UN / BRAGG

Catherine Bragg, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator for the UN briefs the press on her recent trip to flood-ravaged Sri Lanka. She stresses the importance of continued humanitarian efforts in an already conflict traumatized nation. UNTV / FILE

Posted at: January 26, 2011 5:39 pm

Duration: 01:28

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / BRAGG
TRT: 1.28
SOURCE: UNTV / FILE
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE : 26 JANUARY 2011, NEW YORK CITY

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1.	Wide shot, exterior snowy UN North Lawn building

26 JANUARY 2011, NEW YORK CITY

2.	Med shot, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator for the UN, Catherine Bragg seated with UN Spokesman for the Secretary General, Martin Nesirky 
3.	SOUNDUP (English) Martin Nesirky, Spokesman for the Secretary General, United Nations: 
	"Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome to the briefing."
4.	Cutaway, journalist taking a picture
5.	SOUNDBITE (English) Catherine Bragg, Assistant Secretary-General, Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations:
"I visited the flood affected areas in the eastern part of the country and certainly got the sense of how overwhelmed the affected communities have been, and how it really is severely affecting their ability to withstand further shocks. We have to remember the people in the eastern part of the country had already suffered through multiple threats from the tsunami, to the conflict and to now the floods. Their vulnerability is very real and very acute."
6.	Cutaway, journalists in the audience
7.	SOUNDBITE  (English) Catherine Bragg, Assistant Secretary-General, Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations:
"We discussed how support could be more effectively provided if the conditions for operating in the North for the NGOs could be further relaxed. In particular, we discussed facilitating access for humanitarian organizations and the feedback was fairly positive."

FILE – OCHA - THERAVIL, PUTUKUDIYRIUPPU, MULLAITIVU DISTRICT, BATTICALOA DISTRICT, SRI LANKA

8.	Aerial shot, visuals of floods in Batticaloa District, Eastern Sri Lanka
9.	Wide shot, Bragg walking down a road with officials
10.	Med shot, Bragg talking with officials
11.	Med shot, Bragg talking with officials with UN aid bags in foreground
12.	Med shot, Man walking bike with UN aid bags

STORYLINE:
 
The deputy United Nations (UN) humanitarian chief briefed the press today (January 26) at UN Headquarters in New York on her recent trip to Sri Lanka. Her three-day visit to the South Asian nation focused on humanitarian priorities following the end of a separatist conflict in 2009.

The visit coincided with ongoing flood recovery efforts since December 2010.

Although Bragg praised the progress of the Sri Lankan government in resettling hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the decades-long war with Tamil separatists, she said more work needs to be done.

SOUNDBITE (English) Catherine Bragg, Assistant Secretary-General, Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations:
"I visited the flood affected areas in the eastern part of the country and certainly got the sense of how overwhelmed the affected communities have been, and how it really is severely affecting their ability to withstand further shocks. We have to remember the people in the eastern part of the country had already suffered through multiple threats from the tsunami, to the conflict and to now the floods. Their vulnerability is very real and very acute."

After meeting with high level senior government officials and non-government organizations (NGOs) she called for increased cooperation between humanitarian organizations and the government. Bragg also reaffirmed the UN's commitment to long-term rebuilding, and recovery efforts in the country.

SOUNDBITE (English) Catherine Bragg, Assistant Secretary-General, Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations:
"We discussed how support could be more effectively provided if the conditions for operating in the North for the NGOs could be further relaxed. In particular, we discussed facilitating access for humanitarian organizations and the feedback was fairly positive."

In the north, Bragg went to Theravil in Mullaitivu District, which was recently cleared of landmines, enabling former residents to return and begin rebuilding their lives.

Bragg noted that only 20,000 of the 300,000 persons displaced at the height of the separatist crisis still remain in Government-run camps, yet "due to the difficulties in clearing land mines and the lack of basic services in the home areas" those remaining are expected to stay until the middle of this year.

Despite the Government's commitment of resources to infrastructure in the return areas Bragg expressed concern that most of the returnees lack adequate access to shelter, water and sanitation, health care.

Travelling through flood ravaged areas in the east, she acknowledged the unfortunate convergence between conflict and natural disasters the people in the region have already suffered.

While in Sri Lank Bragg launched a USD51 million appeal for the flood victims. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocated USD6 million to jumpstart key life-saving projects.