27 Sep 2012

GENEVA / SYRIAN REFUGEE APPEAL

Posted at: September 27, 2012 11:01 am

Duration: 01:48

Available in: SD

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STORY:  GENEVA / SYRIAN REFUGEE APPEAL
TRT: 1.48
SOURCE: CH UNTV 
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 27 SEPTEMBER 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST:

FILE – 2011, PALAIS DES NATIONS, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Wide shot, exterior Palais des Nations

27 SEPTEMBER 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2. Wide shot, press Conference
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Panos Moumtzis, Regional Refugee Coordinator, UNHCR:
"Today the revised plan calls for 487.9 million and we have a total of 141.5 million dollars available that has been contributed to us so far. This means that the appeal, the combined appeal of fifty two agencies is funded at the level of 26 percent. That means that we have one third of the required funding to be able to respond."
4. Cutaway, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Panos Moumtzis, Regional Refugee Coordinator, UNHCR:
"We're running out of tine and we need the funding urgently to be able to respond and to continue supporting the Syrian refugees while we're seeing many families and many people crossing the violence and escaping into the neighbors countries. The continuity of the open border policy and the generosity given by host communities who often stretch very limited resources to continue receiving the refugees is extremely important so the international solidarity to help them cope is really crucial."
4. Cutaway, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dermot Carty, Deputy Director of UNICEF Emergency Programs
"Over a half of the refugee population are under 18 and a fifth are under five, and these are always the most vulnerable."
6. Cutaway, two journalists
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dermot Carty, Deputy Director of UNICEF Emergency Programs:
"The funding issue is an issue we would like to bring to people's attention.  At the moment, the UNICEF component of the Appeal amounts to some $79 million of which we have received just 20% so we have a shortfall of some $62 million which we're hoping to be able to raise those funds through this Appeal process."

STORYLINE:

The United Nations (UN) and its humanitarian aid partners today (27 September) called on donors for US$ 295 million in extra funding for operations to help hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.
The revised appeal, covering the humanitarian needs of a forecast 700,000 refugees in neighbouring countries by the end of the year, ups the amount sought from US$193.2 million to US$487.9 million. To date, US$141.5 million has been received from donors for the inter-agency Regional Response Plan for Syrian Refugees.
There are 294,000 Syrian refugees registered or awaiting registration in neighbouring countries, compared to 41,500 Syrians in March, when UNHCR and its partners issued a first appeal for US$84.1 million. This sevenfold increase in the number of refugees has brought about a surge in the humanitarian response and a vastly expanded plan of action to respond to the needs of Syrian refugees as well as future arrivals.
Panos Moumtzis, UNHCR's regional coordinator for Syrian Refugees told journalists in Geneva today that the combined appeal of fifty two agencies was funded at the level of 26 percent. 
The continued violence in Syria has prompted humanitarian agencies to prepare for a further increase in the numbers of refugees, taking into account the impact on refugee-hosting countries and communities. Whereas the March appeal projected an estimated 100,000 Syrians becoming refugees by the end of this year (a number that was passed in July), this appeal estimates up to 700,000 Syrian refugees in neighboring countries by December 31.
Moumtzis stressed that the funding was urgently needed to be able to respond and to continue supporting the Syrian refugees 
Women and children make up 75 per cent of the refugee population. Education and health care are both priorities in the plan. 
UNICEF's Deputy Director Dermot Carty said that over a half of the refugee population were under 18 and a fifth are under five, and these are always the most vulnerable.

He also said that at the moment, the UNICEF component of the Appeal amounted to some $79 million of which just 20% had been received, adding that, "we have a shortfall of some $62 million which we're hoping to be able to raise those funds through this Appeal process."
The revised Regional Response Plan includes 42 national and international NGOs, who were represented at the launch of the appeal by Michael Penrose, humanitarian director of Save the Children International.
Humanitarian agencies have scaled-up assistance in response to the increase in numbers and needs of refugees, with an increasing sense of urgency as winter approaches, with half the Syrian refugee population living in refugee camps, the majority in tents.
Za'atri camp in Jordan opened late July and today hosts some 32,000 Syrian refugees. Meanwhile in Iraq, Domiz camp in northern Iraq hosts more than 27,000 Syrian refugees. In Turkey, which assumes total responsibility for the refugee camps, the vast majority of refugees – close to 88,000 – are living in 13 camps.
In Lebanon, most refugees are living in rented apartments or with families. As refugees continue to arrive, there are increasing concerns over lack of available shelter. In Jordan, over half of the refugee population is living in rented apartments or with host families, but new arrivals are required to live in the camp.