Bi-Weekly Press Briefing: Update Turkiye/Syria earthquakes - WFP/UNICEF/IOM/WHO
/
2:37
/
MP4
/
193.7 MB

Edited News | IOM , UNICEF , WFP , WHO

Bi-Weekly Press Briefing: Update Turkiye/Syria earthquakes - WFP/UNICEF/IOM/WHO

UN humanitarian agencies on Tuesday welcomed the news that two more border crossings are to open into northwest Syria from Türkiye, to transport relief supplies for survivors of the earthquake disaster in both countries that have likely claimed tens of thousands of lives.

“We very, very much welcome this announcement that there are additional crossings now to get into northwest Syria from Türkiye,” said Kenn Crossley, WFP Country Director in Syria, after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed to temporarily open the crossing points of Bab Al-Salam and Al Ra’ee for an initial period of three months.

Speaking from Damascus to journalists in Geneva via Zoom, Mr. Crossley insisted that humanitarian access needed reach people “wherever they are from, wherever we can get to them”.

Drawing on the existing partnerships, supply chains and food stocks, WFP began distributing hot-meals and ready to eat food in shelters with local partners within hours from the earthquake.

“Roughly 90,000 people within northwest Syria have been receiving specific food assistance related directly to the impact of the earthquake”, the WFP official said. “They've been also receiving regular assistance through our previous pipeline, another approximately 90,000 people.”

WFP’s logistics cluster is working with all humanitarian partners to boost aid access through the new entry points into northwest Syria. A WFP convoy of 18 trucks of food assistance, as well as other aid from multiple UN agencies is ready to bring assistance into northwest Syria.

"So, within northwest Syria, where a lot of the attention has been focused, we're confident that we've been able to work with partners to provide enough food for between 150,000 and 180,000 people as of today", said Mr. Crossley.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) also announced earlier on Tuesday that an 11-truck convoy left the agency’s Gaziantep warehouse bound for about Bab Al-Salam, one of the reopened border crossings.

“In addition, four other trucks have also left from this sprawling IOM warehouse we operate in Gaziantep bound for Bab al-Hawa”, said Paul Dillon, IOM’s spokesperson, in reference to the existing cross-border entry point into largely opposition-held northwest Syria. “We're still waiting on confirmation that these two convoys have crossed.”

Eight days since the devastating earthquakes, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) highlighted that youngsters are still extremely vulnerable in impacted areas: some 4.6 million lived in Türkiye before the disaster and another 2.5 million were known to be in Syria. The number of children killed and injured during the quakes and their aftermath has not yet been confirmed, but is likely to be in the many thousands, said UNICEF spokesperson James Elder.

“This is trauma on top of trauma”, the UNICEF spokesperson said. “I call it what you will compound trauma for these children is unyielding trauma. To give a quick sense of that psychological first aid, we've trained 70 additional trainers in Syria. We've released hundreds of recreational kits which bring basics of stimulation and learning, a little bit of normalcy”.

In both Türkiye and Syria, child protection is a high priority for UNICEF, including the identification and reunification of separated and unaccompanied children. Some of the children have been displaced five or six times.

Reiterating the importance of establishing cross-line movements into northwest Syria, Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the “the Government has just recently on 12 February given the recent blanket approval for cross-line movements for UN convoys. That's important to say.”. He added: “Again, this is not only from one side, this also needs the receiving side for convoys to be ready and to …receive convoys. This is why this is a constant back-and-forth negotiations. Every party has to agree to receive convoys to let them go unhindered and that is the biggest challenge.”

  1. Medium shot, UN Geneva flag alley.
  2. Wide shot, press room with moderator and screens with speakers.
  3. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Kenn Crossley, WFP Country Director in Syria: “We very, very much welcome this announcement that there are additional crossings now to get into northwest Syria from Turkiye. We think it's extremely important that we have all possible humanitarian access to people wherever they are from wherever we can get to them.
  4. Medium shot, journalists looking at screen to speaker
  5. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Kenn Crossley, WFP Country Director in Syria: “Roughly 90,000 people within northwest Syria have been receiving specific food assistance related directly to the impact of the earthquake. They've been also receiving regular assistance through our previous pipeline, another approximately 90,000 people”.
  6. Medium shot, background of podium + speaker on screen
  7. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Kenn Crossley, WFP Country Director in Syria: “So within northwest Syria, where a lot of the attention has been focused we're confident that we've been able to work with partners to provide enough food for between 150 and 180,000 people as of today”.
  8. Medium shot, journalists in press briefing room in front of screen with speakers
  9. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - James Elder, spokesperson for UNICEF: “This is trauma on top of trauma. I call it what you will compound trauma for these children is unyielding trauma. To give a quick sense of that psychological first aid, we've trained 70 additional trainers in Syria. We've released hundreds of recreational kits which bring basics of stimulation and learning, a little bit of normalcy”.
  10. Wide shot, journalist taking a photo with journalists sitting behind
  11. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Paul Dillon, spokesperson for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM): ”In addition, four other trucks have also left from this sprawling IOM warehouse we operate in Gaziantep bound for Bab al-Hawa. We're still waiting on confirmation that these two convoys have crossed”.
  12. Medium shot, journalist looking at speaker on screen
  13. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “The government has just recently on the 12th of February given the recent blanket approval for cross line movements for U.N. convoys. That's important to say. But again, this is not only from one side. This also needs the receiving side for convoys to be ready and to exceed receive convoys. This is why this is a constant back and forth negotiations. Every party has to agree to receive convoys to let them go unhindered and that is the biggest challenge”.
  14. Close up, hands typing
  15. Wide shot, cameraman filming with journalists sitting in the background
  16. Wide shot, journalists taking notes

Similar Stories

Gaza aid update - WFP

1

1

1

Edited News | WFP

Gaza aid update - WFP ENG FRA

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.

Gaza aid and border crossings - WFP, OCHA 17 October 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | WFP , OCHA

Gaza aid and border crossings - WFP, OCHA 17 October 2025 ENG FRA

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.

Gaza update – UNDP, UNICEF, OCHA, ICRC 14 October 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | UNDP , UNICEF , OCHA , ICRC

Gaza update – UNDP, UNICEF, OCHA, ICRC 14 October 2025 ENG FRA

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.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Machado: reaction from UN rights office

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Machado: reaction from UN rights office ENG FRA

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.

Gaza ceasefire agreement – UNRWA, UNICEF, WHO 10 October 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | UNRWA , UNICEF , WHO

Gaza ceasefire agreement – UNRWA, UNICEF, WHO 10 October 2025 ENG FRA

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.

Gaza - Israel war 7 October 2025 - OCHA - UNICEF - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , WHO

Gaza - Israel war 7 October 2025 - OCHA - UNICEF - WHO ENG FRA

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.

Justice for Syria's disappeared - Riyad Avlar – 06 October 2025

1

1

1

Edited News

Justice for Syria's disappeared - Riyad Avlar – 06 October 2025 ENG FRA

Syria prison survivor seeks justice for the missing with UN backing.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at Human Rights Council on Ukraine: “This war needs to end”

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at Human Rights Council on Ukraine: “This war needs to end” ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday warned that three and a half years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war in Ukraine has entered an even more dangerous and deadly stage for Ukrainian civilians, under relentless bombardment of their schools, hospitals, and shelters.

30 minutes in a Gaza hospital - UNICEF - WHO - ICRC

1

1

1

Edited News | UNICEF , WHO , ICRC

30 minutes in a Gaza hospital - UNICEF - WHO - ICRC ENG FRA

Quadcopter victims, terror and death: 30 minutes in a Gaza hospital 

UN aid teams on Friday highlighted the disturbing situation in Gaza’s makeshift hospitals, where premature babies cry for scant oxygen and medics attempt to save child survivors targeted by airstrikes in their tents and quadcopter victims reportedly shot while fetching bread.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s Oral update to the Human Rights Council on the situation in Haiti

2

1

2

Edited News | OHCHR

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s Oral update to the Human Rights Council on the situation in Haiti ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Thursday delivered his oral update to the UN Human Rights Council’s 60th session on the human rights situation in Haiti.

The High Commissioner welcomed Wednesday’s decision of the UN Security Council to strengthen the Multinational Security Support mission by transitioning to the Gang Suppression Force for Haiti, stating it is a strong signal of international support for the Haitian people.

Gaza aid update - UNICEF, OCHA 30 September 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF

Gaza aid update - UNICEF, OCHA 30 September 2025 ENG FRA

Gaza: As world waits for US peace plan news, UN aid teams stress need for ceasefire

UN agencies reiterated calls for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday to help alleviate Palestinian suffering, as a new US 20-point plan raised hopes of a halt to the fighting.

Gaza healthcare attacks – WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO

Gaza healthcare attacks – WHO ENG FRA

The ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza City continues to overwhelm the war-torn enclave’s medical professionals, with four more hospitals forced to shut down this month alone, the UN World Health Organization said on Friday.