21 Jan 2013

SYRIA/ HUMANITARIAN DERA’A

A team of emergency directors from the United Nations (UN) concluded their visit to various conflict-affected areas in Syria today (21 January) , saying that they "are profoundly sad and saddened by the tragedy that has befallen the Syrian people." OCHA

Posted at: January 21, 2013 7:28 pm

Duration: 03:19

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Full script

STORY: SYRIA/ HUMANITARIAN DERA'A
TRT: 03:19
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS

DATELINE: 19 JANUARY 2013, DERA'A/DAMASCUS, SYRIA

SHOTLIST:

19 JANUARY 2013, DERA'A, SYRIA

1. Med shot, UN car convoy en route to Dera'a, south Syria
2. Wide shot, Syrian army tank on side of the road
3. Med. Convoy arrives at Dera'a public hospital
4. Wide shot, OCHA Operations Director John Ging enters Dera'a public hospital
5. SOUNDUP (English) Richard Brennan, Emergency Director, World Health Organisation:
"What are the main conditions you're seeing right now?"
6. SOUNDUP (English) Hospital Administrator (unnamed): 
"Trauma"
7. SOUNDUP (English) Richard Brennan, Emergency Director, World Health Organisation:
"Can we go the trauma ward? Is that possible?" 
8. Med shot, Government security forces in hospital
9. Med shot, trauma ward
10. SOUNDUP (English) Richard Brennan, Emergency Director, World Health Organisation:
"Gunshot"
11. Med shot, Brennan looks at patient x-rays
12. Med shot, Government security forces in hospital
13. Med pull back shot, John Ging and Richard Brennan exit hospital
14. Wide shot, IDP shelter in Dera'a
15. Med shot, Government security outside shelter
16. Various shot, inside the shelter 
17. Med shot, IDP girl washing dishes
18. SOUNDUP (English) John Ging, Director of Operations, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: 
"We hope that things will get better but in the first place we want you to know that we are here because we care and we believe in your human rights."

21 JANUARY 2013, DAMASCUS, SYRIA

19. Cutaway, cameramen 
20. SOUNDUP (English) John Ging, Director of Operations, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: 
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to our press conference."
21. Cutaway, audience
22. SOUNDBITE (English) John Ging, Director of Operations, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: 
"The first thing to say is that we are profoundly sad and saddened by the tragedy that has befallen the Syrian people. We have visited many places - Dera'a, here in Damascus in Homs - and we have found again exactly what we expected and worse. People are really struggling and millions of people are struggling to survive. We are reminded everywhere we go how long this conflict has been going on - how weary the people are. We are not meeting all the needs of the people. It is very clear that if a humanitarian appeal is only 50 per cent funded then you can only reach 50 per cent of the targets that you have set."
23. Cutaway, cameraman
24. SOUNDBITE (English) John Ging, Director of Operations, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: 
"So we are raising our voice for more funding from our donors to enable us to scale up the response that is needed."

STORYLINE:

A team of emergency directors from the United Nations (UN) concluded their visit to various conflict-affected areas in Syria today (21 January), saying that they "are profoundly sad and saddened by the tragedy that has befallen the Syrian people."

The team, led by the Operations Director of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), John Ging, included seven emergency directors from UN agencies such as the World Health Organization, World Food Programme, UN Children's Fund and the World Health Organization.

While in Dera'a, southern Syria, on Saturday (19 January), the team visited a public hospital and a settlement for people displaced by the conflict, which started nearly two years ago in March 2011. Since then, over 60,000 people have been killed and scores of others have been injured. More than 2 million people have been internally displaced, and over 650,000 have fled across the border into neighbouring countries, North Africa and Europe.

Today, the team visited Homs and Talbiseh, cities that have seen some of the worst fighting. During the visit, which was coordinated by the Syrian Government and the opposition, the emergency directors saw first-hand the impact of the conflict, the deteriorating humanitarian situation and growing needs faced by hundreds of families who need basic aid to survive. Despite the needs, insecurity, lack of access and inadequate funding is affecting aid workers' ability to reach people.    
 
Talking to the press in Damascus later today, Ging said "millions of people are struggling to survive," adding that "we are not meeting all the needs of the people."

Aid agencies have appealed for more funding and access to people in need both in Syria and neighbouring countries. The recently launched humanitarian appeals for Syria have asked for $1.5 billion in total, but have not received enough support so far. 
 
"So we are raising our voice for more funding from our donors to enable us to scale up the response that is needed," said Ging. High-level Government officials are expected to gather in Kuwait later this month to pledge their support for the Syrian Humanitarian Response Plan ($519 million) and the Regional Refugee Response Plan ($1 billion).

It is very clear that if a humanitarian appeal is only 50 per cent funded then you can only reach 50 per cent of the targets that you have set."