The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Subject: At the United Nations briefing in Geneva Marta Hurtado spokesperson for the Office of the UN high Commissioner for Human Rights, briefed journalist on deep concerns regarding the hostilities and disregard for the protection of civilians as fighting continues to kill and injure scores of civilians around Idlib and Aleppo.
SOUNDBITE (English)—Marta Hurtado, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “We are deeply concerned by the sharp increase in hostilities in northwest Syria and the blatant disregard for protection of civilians. Fighting in southern and eastern Idlib and in western and southern Aleppo continues to kill and injure scores of civilians and displace hundreds of thousands of others.”
“As indicated by the United Nations Undersecretary for Humanitarian affairs Marc Lowcock, the UN human rights office as been able to verify that in five days from 1 to 5 February, we verified incidents in which at least 49 civilians, including 14 women and 17 children, were killed. Of these, seven civilians were killed in Government-controlled areas.”
“Last month, we verified incidents in which at least 186 civilians, including 33 women, 37 boys and 30 girls, were killed. Of these, 14 civilians were killed in Government-controlled areas.”
“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet repeats her demand to all parties, including the Syrian Government, Russia, Turkey and other state or non-state actors, to ensure the protection of civilians and to carry out their military operations in accordance with international law.”
“It is shocking that civilians continue to bear the brunt of hostilities between all parties to the conflict. It appears foreign powers are battling for territorial and political gains, while blatantly disregarding their obligation to protect civilians.”
“Civilians are killed even as they try to escape the intensifying hostilities. On 3 February, a reported airstrike by pro-government forces hit a bus travelling on a highway near the town of Orum al-Qubra in western rural Aleppo. Nine civilians - all from the same family - fleeing the latest fighting were killed.”
“From 1 to 5 February, we also documented ground-based strikes by non-State armed groups that hit residential areas and educational facilities in Aleppo city. Five civilians, including a woman and her two children, were killed in the al-Hamdaniya neighborhood. Strikes also hit the University of Aleppo, wounding at least one student.”
- Wide shot: briefing room Palais des Nations Geneva
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Marta Hurtado, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “We are deeply concerned by the sharp increase in hostilities in northwest Syria and the blatant disregard for protection of civilians. Fighting in southern and eastern Idlib and in western and southern Aleppo continues to kill and injure scores of civilians and displace hundreds of thousands of others.”
- Cut away: Close up hand writing
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Marta Hurtado, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “As indicated by the United Nations Undersecretary for Humanitarian affairs Marc Lowcock, the UN human rights office as been able to verify that in five days from 1 to 5 February, we verified incidents in which at least 49 civilians, including 14 women and 17 children, were killed. Of these, seven civilians were killed in Government-controlled areas.”
- Cut away: Close up hands typing
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Marta Hurtado, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Last month, we verified incidents in which at least 186 civilians, including 33 women, 37 boys and 30 girls, were killed. Of these, 14 civilians were killed in Government-controlled areas.”
- Cut away: Close up hand writing
- SOUNDBITE (English)— SOUNDBITE (English)—Marta Hurtado, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet repeats her demand to all parties, including the Syrian Government, Russia, Turkey and other state or non-state actors, to ensure the protection of civilians and to carry out their military operations in accordance with international law.”
- Cut away: Medium shot podium
- SOUNDBITE (English)— SOUNDBITE (English)—Marta Hurtado, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “It is shocking that civilians continue to bear the brunt of hostilities between all parties to the conflict. It appears foreign powers are battling for territorial and political gains, while blatantly disregarding their obligation to protect civilians.”
- Cut away: Close up photographer
- SOUNDBITE (English)— SOUNDBITE (English)—Marta Hurtado, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Civilians are killed even as they try to escape the intensifying hostilities. On 3 February, a reported airstrike by pro-government forces hit a bus travelling on a highway near the town of Orum al-Qubra in western rural Aleppo. Nine civilians - all from the same family - fleeing the latest fighting were killed.”
- Cut away: Wide shot journalists
- SOUNDBITE (English)— SOUNDBITE (English)—Marta Hurtado, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “From 1 to 5 February, we also documented ground-based strikes by non-State armed groups that hit residential areas and educational facilities in Aleppo city. Five civilians, including a woman and her two children, were killed in the al-Hamdaniya neighborhood. Strikes also hit the University of Aleppo, wounding at least one student.”
- Cut aways: Various
Similar Stories
1
6
1
1
Edited News | UNOG
In a new twist on panda diplomacy, UN Geneva welcomed five young peacocks to the Palace of Nations on Friday, a gift of India that preserves a tradition of keeping the stately birds in the grounds, that predates both the global body and its ill-fated predecessor, the League of Nations.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
Afghanistan’s hunger crisis intensifies as millions go without food aid – WFP
Afghanistan’s dire hunger crisis now affects 14 million people including babies fed on weak tea and a little bread by their despairing and dirt-poor parents.
In a new alert on Tuesday, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that one in three Afghans is now in the grip of acute food insecurity and that it lacks the resources to contain the deepening crisis.
1
1
2
Edited News | IOM
From fake jobs to forced crime: IOM sounds alarm on human trafficking behind online scams
A job offer can conceal a criminal network and a single click can lead to a nightmare. Lured by false promises of legitimate employment abroad, hundreds of thousands of people are being trafficked each year, held captive and forced to carry out online scams.
Ahead of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons marked on 30 July, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is raising the alarm over a rapidly expanding multibillion-dollar criminal industry that turns job seekers into victims of forced cybercrime.
1
1
1
Edited News | UN WOMEN
In Sudan’s El Obeid, women risk drone attacks by day and rape by night to access water
As war intensifies in the city of El Obeid in North Kordofan state, filling up a jerrycan of water comes at a high risk for women and girls: by day, drones strike water points and by night, women who venture out to fill a bucket risk rape. UN Women warns of a dual terror that has turned access to water into a deadly gamble.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights spokesperson Shabia Mantoo made the following remarks on stranded Hormuz seafarers abandoned for months at sea, at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the bi-weekly press conference in Geneva, Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Danielle Bell, head of UN Human Rights’ Ukraine team, spoke of the deepening impact of the war on the civilian population.
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva, UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan made the following remarks Intensified Israeli attacks in Gaza.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
DR Congo: Ebola outbreak continues to expand, WHO sees signs of stabilization
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UN health teams and partners are still racing to contain the rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak, despite ongoing insecurity in eastern areas where the virus has taken hold. As of 19 July, the DRC Government has recorded 2,423 confirmed cases, including 967 deaths and 469 patient recoveries.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights spokeperson Jeremy Laurence appealed for calm in Pakistan-Administered Kashmir amid a wave of unrest ahead of regional elections at the end of the month.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
UN humanitarians working in war-torn Sudan warned on Friday of growing dramatic needs among the more than 100,000 displaced people now sheltering in camps in the city of El Obeid. "We are providing even not the full food ration to the people, but even that reduced food ration is being shared by the recipients with other families, because they know that they don't have any other source of income," said World Food Programme (WFP) Sudan Country Director Abdallah Alwardat.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
‘This is a fire’: DRC Ebola outbreak is fastest-growing ever, warns WHO
Infections of the Bundibugyo species of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have reached record highs and a majority of new cases are coming from “unknown chains of transmission”, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
In war-torn Sudan, a deadly new cholera outbreak has already claimed more than 100 lives, heightening serious concerns for vulnerable communities including in besieged El-Obeid, where daily drone attacks reportedly continue to hamper aid access.