The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Mariupol steel works convoy: UN health agency ready ‘for whatever is needed’
UN humanitarians said on Tuesday that they were standing ready to help receive a group of evacuees from the heavily damaged Azovstal steel works complex in the embattled Ukrainian city of Mariupol, more than two months since Russia’s invasion of its neighbour.
“We do not know what to expect …on this convoy but we are all of us, the health system, MSF is here with us and other NGOs and volunteers, all ready for the, whatever is needed,” said Dr Dorit Nizan, World Health Organization (WHO) Incident Manager for Ukraine, speaking from a reception centre in Zaporizhzhia, hundreds of miles to the north of Mariupol.
Confirmation came on Sunday from the UN aid coordinating office OCHA that the operation to evacuate desperate civilians from the vast steel plant was under way, coordinated by the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross and “parties to the conflict”.
According to news reports, more than 100 civilians were allowed to leave in the first phase of the operation. Many others have already arrived in Zaporizhzhia from villages and towns to the west of Mariupol, Dr Nizan said.
Although the majority of these arrivals had only minor injuries requiring medical care, mental health linked to the trauma of the war “is a big issue” which will require care and support in the longer term, the WHO official explained.
“We are already receiving people, mainly mothers and children from Mariupol and its vicinity. So these people continue coming and I don’t know if you can see in the background, but cars are coming with volunteers from the region here, Zaporizhzhia, that are driving them from the contact line.”
Before the Russian invasion on 24 February, Mariupol’s population numbered around 500,000. Today, around 100,000 are believed to remain in the battered city, the WHO official continued.
Since the start of the war, the UN health agency has delivered 382 tonnes of medical supplies to Ukraine, including 291 tonnes that have already reached beneficiaries. The agency has established hubs across the vast country, including in Lviv, Kyiv, Dnipro, Donetsk and Luhansk.
“Many people left these regions because they are close to the contact line, and they are you know, under fight(ing) and shelling,” Dr Nizan said. “But many of the health workers stayed to deliver, to help, and those that left are replaced by other health care workers that came from the other areas that were occupied.”
ends
STORY: Ukraine Update - WHO
TRT: 1 min 29s
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 3 May 2022 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior wide shot, Palais des Nations flag alley, nations’ flags flying, a cloudy day.
- Wide shot, podium with moderator in Press briefing room, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Dr Dorit Nizan, (via Zoom from Zaporizhzhia), WHO Incident Manager for Ukraine: “We do not know what to expect on the, you know, on this convoy but we are all of us, the health system, MSF is here with us and other NGOs and volunteers, all ready for the, whatever is needed.”
- Wide shot, podium moderator and large-screen TV showing Dr Nizan speaking via Zoom from Ukraine.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Dr Dorit Nizan, (via Zoom from Zaporizhzhia), WHO Incident Manager for Ukraine: “We are already receiving people, mainly mothers and children from Mariupol and its vicinity. So these people continue coming and I don’t know if you can see in the background, but cars are coming with volunteers from the region here, Zaporizhzhia, that are driving them from the contact line.”
- Medium shot, journalists wearing facemasks checking phone or typing on laptops, TV light panel to rear.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Dr Dorit Nizan, (via Zoom from Zaporizhzhia), WHO Incident Manager for Ukraine: “Many people left these regions because they are close to the contact line, and they are you know, under fight(ing) and shelling, but many of the health workers stayed to deliver, to help, and those that left are replaced by other health care workers that came from the other areas that were occupied.”
- Medium shot, journalists wearing facemasks, typing on laptops or checking mobile phone.
- Medium shot, journalists wearing facemasks, typing on laptop or taking notes.
- Wide shot, journalists wearing facemasks, typing on laptop or taking notes.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The telecommunications shutdowns in Afghanistan in September had serious and far-reaching impacts on people’s lives, according to a briefing paper published today by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence at the UN Geneva press briefing made the following comment on the ASEAN declaration on the right to a healthy environment.
1
1
1
Edited News | IFRC , OCHA , WMO
‘Catastrophic’ Hurricane Melissa hours from landfall in Jamaica as humanitarians rush to save lives
Millions in Jamaica and across the Caribbean are bracing for massive impact from Hurricane Melissa on Tuesday as the UN and partners are warning of a “severe” and “immediate” humanitarian threat.
1
1
Edited News | WHO
‘We need all routes to open’: in Gaza WHO calls for ramp-up of medevacs, easier access for essentials
Two weeks since a ceasefire agreement entered into force in Gaza the World Health Organization (WHO) noted progress on the flow of aid while calling for more evacuations of critical patients and eased entry for essential medicines and supplies.
1
12
1
1
Edited News | WMO , UNITED NATIONS
UN chief urges boost to life-saving weather warning systems, stresses role of climate change science
No country is safe from the devastating impacts of extreme weather — and saving lives means making early-warning systems accessible to all, UN chief António Guterres said on Wednesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
Gazans’ response to food distributions ‘overwhelming’ as humanitarians scale up under fragile ceasefire
In Gaza, the ceasefire is enabling UN humanitarians to reach more desperate people with life-saving food, but greater access is needed to contain the spread of famine.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP , OCHA
UN urges opening of all Gaza crossings to deliver three-month food supply
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned food aid cannot reach everyone in Gaza unless all border crossings are opened, particularly in the north where famine was declared in August. The agency says it already has enough supplies in place to feed the entire population of the Strip for three months – if full access is granted by Israel.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNDP , UNICEF , OCHA , ICRC
Around $70 billion will be needed to reconstruct Gaza and make it safe after two years of war, UN development experts said on Tuesday, while aid agencies reported that far too little aid continues to reach desperate Palestinians.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, on Friday welcomed the Nobel Peace Prize committee’s decision to name Maria Machado as this year’s laureate, in recognition of her work promoting the Venezuelan people’s democratic hopes.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , UNICEF , WHO
As Gazans jammed the main route leading north on Friday after a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was announced, UN aid teams repeated their call to open all crossings into the devastated enclave to prevent famine spreading.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , WHO
Two years of Gaza-Israel war bring ‘indescribable’ pain: UN humanitarians
Two years since the Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel, UN humanitarians on Tuesday reiterated calls for the release of all hostages in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire and an aid surge to alleviate Palestinians’ suffering, as talks on a US-driven peace plan continued in Egypt.
1
1
1
Edited News
Syria prison survivor seeks justice for the missing with UN backing.