UN / ETHIOPIA UPDATE

14-Dec-2020 00:02:00
Briefing reporters on the situation in Ethiopia, a UN spokesperson said “our humanitarian colleagues continue to tell us of dire shortages of food, water, fuel, cash, and electricity, as well as telecommunication services and other vital supplies” in the Tigray region. UNIFEED
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STORY: UN / ETHIOPIA UPDATE
TRT: 2:00
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAG: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 14 DECEMBER 2020, NEW YORK CITY / RECENT
SHOTLIST
RECENT – NEW YORK CITY

1.Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters

14 DECEMBER 2020, NEW YORK CITY

2.Wide shot, press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General:
“On Ethiopia, our humanitarian colleagues continue to tell us of dire shortages of food, water, fuel, cash, and electricity, as well as telecommunication services and other vital supplies in the Tigray region. Yesterday, we were told that the mobile network and electrical power were reportedly restored in Tigray’s capital, Mekelle – that is to be welcomed – and we reiterate our call for all basic services in the region to be restored. As we’ve been telling you, the communications blackout has made it very difficult to verify information and to provide basic humanitarian services to those who need it the most. So far, more than 63,000 people have been recorded as internally displaced in Tigray, including some who fled towards Afar and Amhara. We expect these numbers to change if access to the region is allowed. An inter-agency mission conducted between 2 and 8 December in Afar found that thousands of newly internally displaced people need water, sanitation and hygiene services, as well as medical supplies and care. We, as well as our humanitarian partners, continue to mobilize resources and personnel as we prepare to scale up assistance in Tigray as soon as humanitarian access is reestablished for the United Nations. We also continue to engage at the highest levels with the Federal Government to work out operational details, including security conditions, to guarantee access. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and its partners in Shire continue to coordinate the protection of refugees, despite difficulties in accessing the camps, among others. Over the past month, our colleagues tell us that there has been an increased spread of misinformation on social media. We are working with the Government of Ethiopia and others to rectify this.”
4.Wide shot, press briefing room
STORYLINE
Briefing reporters on the situation in Ethiopia, a UN spokesperson said “our humanitarian colleagues continue to tell us of dire shortages of food, water, fuel, cash, and electricity, as well as telecommunication services and other vital supplies” in the Tigray region.

Speaking today (14 Dec) in New York, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that on Sunday (13 Dec), “we were told that the mobile network and electrical power were reportedly restored in Tigray’s capital, Mekelle – that is to be welcomed – and we reiterate our call for all basic services in the region to be restored.”

He continued, “as we’ve been telling you, the communications blackout has made it very difficult to verify information and to provide basic humanitarian services to those who need it the most. So far, more than 63,000 people have been recorded as internally displaced in Tigray, including some who fled towards Afar and Amhara. We expect these numbers to change if access to the region is allowed.”

Dujarric also said, “an inter-agency mission conducted between 2 and 8 December in Afar found that thousands of newly internally displaced people need water, sanitation and hygiene services, as well as medical supplies and care.”

He reiterated, “we, as well our humanitarian partners, continue to mobilize resources and personnel as we prepare to scale up assistance in Tigray as soon as humanitarian access is reestablished for the United Nations.”

The UN also continue to “engage at the highest levels with the Federal Government to work out operational details, including security conditions, to guarantee access,” Dujarric said.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and its partners in Shire “continue to coordinate the protection of refugees, despite difficulties in accessing the camps, among others,” the spokesperson said.

He added, “over the past month, our colleagues tell us that there has been an increased spread of misinformation on social media. We are working with the Government of Ethiopia and others to rectify this.”
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