7 Dec 2012

TURKEY – SYRIA / BAN KI-MOON

On a visit to a Turkish camp for refugees from Syria, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today warned that any use of chemical weapons in Syria would be “an outrageous crime”. UNHCR

Posted at: December 7, 2012 7:06 pm

Duration: 03:27

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: TURKEY - SYRIA / BAN KI-MOON
TRT: 3.27
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 7 DECEMBER 2012, ISLAHIYE REFUGEE CAMP, GAYIANTEP, TURKEY

SHOTLIST:

1. Various shots, Islahiye refugee camp
2. Various shots, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon greeting Turkish officials
3. Various shots, Ban listening to a briefing
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General:
"I was in the Za'atri refugee camp in Jordan this morning, and I have come to Islahiye this afternoon to see the conditions for myself, to learn more about the challenges and to listen directly to the peoples concerns and hopes." 
5. Various shots, Ban arriving at tents area of the camp
6. Various shots, Ban talking to a Syrian refugee family inside a tent
7. UPSOUND (English) Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General:
"Do not lose hope."
8. Various shots, Islahiye refugee camp
9.  SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General:
"It is simply not right that people are being uprooted from their homes simply because their leader have not addressed legitimate demands for democracy justice and equality."
10. Cutaway, cameras filming
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General:
"I have come to listen but I am also here to say to the world, the slaughter in Syria must stop."
12. Various shots, Ban saying goodbye to agency staff at Islahiye camp
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General:
"It would be an outrageous crime in the name of humanity. Several months ago I wrote a letter to president Assad, urging him not to use under any circumstances, chemical weapons."
14. Aerial shot, Islahiye refugee camp

STORYLINE:

On a visit to a Turkish camp for refugees from Syria, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today (7 December) warned that any use of chemical weapons in Syria would be "an outrageous crime".

Ban was visiting Islahiye camp in Gaziantep province to show his support for the refugees living there and to encourage the international community to redouble their efforts to back countries around Syria bearing the brunt of the refugees' humanitarian needs.

Despite the heavy rain, many of the 8000 refugees living in the camp turned out to meet the Secretary General as he went to visit families living in tents provided by the Turkish government and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

This woman, whose identity has to be protected for security reasons, has two children who are both attending kindergarten in the camp. Ban encouraged them not to lose hope.

During his visit, Ban thanked the Turkish government and people for their generous and ongoing support for their neighbors to the south, and called for an end to the violence in Syria.

He said it was "simply not right that people are being uprooted from their homes simply because their leader have not addressed legitimate demands for democracy, justice and equality". He continued that he had come to Turkey listen to the refugees, "but I am also here to say to the world, the slaughter in Syria must stop".

Ban remarked that the plight of Syrian refugees might continue for some time and that the international community should galvanize to help nations already caring for refugees on Syria's borders.

Since April 2011, Turkish authorities have opened their borders to all Syrians seeking refuge, enacting a policy of no forced return, no limit of duration of stay in Turkey and the possibility of assistance in one of 14 purpose-built refugee camps.

With the UNHCR support, the Turkish government is now well on the way to providing extra heating and insulation to protect the displaced from the plummeting temperatures as winter arrives on southern Turkey's border with Syria.

The region has been flooded with over 135,000 refugees fleeing violence on the streets of their homeland. It's thought that 75 percent of these are women and children.