UNOG Bi-weekly press briefing: COVID-19 Preparedness OCHA
/
1:52
/
MP4
/
138.9 MB

Edited News | OCHA , UNOG

UNOG Bi-weekly press briefing: COVID-19 Preparedness - OCHA

Millions of people in crises will need UN humanitarian aid in midst of COVID-19 pandemic

More than 100 million people around the world are relying on life-saving support from the United Nations and will continue to need this as the COVID-19 spreads, a spokesman of the UN Office for Humanitarian Coordination (OCHA) said at a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday.

The Press was following the briefing remotely after Swiss authorities yesterday imposed new measures to limit meetings to no more than five people, part of the coronavirus response in the country.

“The UN office for Humanitarian Coordination (OCHA) is determined that crucial line saving work for the world's most vulnerable communities must be sustained,” said spokesperson Jens Laerke. “That means continuing focus on coordination across the group of humanitarian system so that we have the resources they need and maintaining effective humanitarian operations leaving no one behind.”

The OCHA spokesman said that the UN’s top priority is to ensure that everything possible is done to keep providing life-saving help for these vulnerable people.

“We are working closely with the United Nations Member States and the private sector to ensure funding for the equipment is available to fight COVID-19 in the world’s most vulnerable countries,” Mr. Laerke said.

“The WHO has appealed for $675 million to fund the response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he remarked, while adding that work is ongoing to coordinate a consolidated global humanitarian appeal.

UN agencies are currently assessing where and how humanitarian operations on the ground are being disrupted to identify solutions as quickly as possible.

“We are taking precautions to ensure the safety of staff and the people we serve,” Mr Laerke said, while “helping to raise awareness among vulnerable communities to inform them of how to protect themselves from COVID-19”.

1. Wide shot: exterior, flag alley, Palais des Nations, United Nations Geneva.

2. Wide shot: Press Room III, with four people visible in shot, including three on podium.

3. Medium wide shot: Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the Information Service at UN Geneva, with Jens Laerke, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) sitting some distance away to her left. A projector screen indicating “UNIS GENEVA Bi-weekly Press Briefing” is shown to rear.

4. SOUNDBITE (EN) - Deputy spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Jens Laerke: “The coronavirus pandemic now has a foothold in more than 140 countries. Some of these are countries that are already in humanitarian crises, due to conflicts, natural disasters and climate change.”

5. Medium wide shot: podium speakers seated some distance apart.

6. SOUNDBITE (EN) - Deputy spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Jens Laerke: “More than 100 million people rely on support from the United Nations humanitarian agencies. OCHA’s top priority is to ensure that we do all we can in order to keep providing life-saving help to those people.”

7. Close-up: microphones, empty tables in background, podium speakers to rear, spaced apart from each other.

8. SOUNDBITE (EN) Jens Laerke/OCHA: “From Geneva, we have dedicated teams which are looking exactly at these practical implications on humanitarian operations, on logistics, on supply chains, and so on and so forth. So, it is too early to tell you exactly what is going to be the fallout of this on our operations, but we are monitoring it very, very closely.”

9. Close-up: Jens Laerke, spokesperson for OCHA, speaking into microphone at podium, other podium speakers to rear.

10. SOUNDBITE (EN) Jens Laerke/OCHA: “The emergency relief coordinator Mark Lowcock has already released $15 million from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund to help fund WHO and UNICEF’s efforts to contain the virus in vulnerable countries. Other OCHA-managed funds in individual countries are also stepping up and country-based pool funds have released money to scale up immediate preparedness in Afghanistan, Sudan and Jordan.”

11. Medium shot: UNTV camera in foreground and to rear, empty chairs.

11. Wide shot: rows of empty chairs, podium speakers to rear.

12. Close-up: rows of empty chairs.

Similar Stories

Not a Target UN Protest 18 September 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | UNITED NATIONS

Not a Target UN Protest 18 September 2025 ENG FRA

United Nations agencies staff demonstrate on Place des Nations in Geneva, to denounce their colleagues killed in Gaza since October 2023 

WMO - world water monitor 18 September 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | WMO

WMO - world water monitor 18 September 2025 ENG FRA

The world’s water resources face growing pressure from climate change while emergencies related to the vital resource are increasingly impacting lives and livelihoods, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk Remarks to HRC 60 Urgent debate

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk Remarks to HRC 60 Urgent debate ENG FRA

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk addressed the Human Rights Council during a meeting on the Israeli strike on negotiators in Qatar on Tuesday. “Israel’s strike on negotiators in Doha on 9 September was a shocking breach of international law, an assault on regional peace and stability, and a blow against the integrity of mediation and negotiating processes around the world,” he said.

Gaza Al-Mawasi update - UNICEF

1

1

1

Edited News | UNICEF

Gaza Al-Mawasi update - UNICEF ENG FRA

Gaza: Thirsty and starving, war-battered families face ‘inhumane’ evacuation 

As bombs continue to fall on Gaza City as part of the intensifying Israeli military operation, families with starving children are being pushed southwards from one “hellscape” to another, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Elizabeth Throssell on DPRK

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Elizabeth Throssell on DPRK ENG FRA

New UN Human Rights report finds 10 years of increased suffering repression and fear

The UN Human Rights Office on Friday published a report on the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) since 2014. 

Afghanistan update - UNICEF UNHCR 12 September 2025

1

1

2

Edited News | UNICEF , UNHCR

Afghanistan update - UNICEF UNHCR 12 September 2025 ENG FRA

The ongoing humanitarian response to the devastating Afghanistan earthquake disaster continued on Friday, although essential services have been cut for operational reasons following reinforced Taliban restrictions on women working with the UN, the global body said.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report on DRC at the 60th Human Rights Council

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report on DRC at the 60th Human Rights Council ENG FRA

Un nouveau rapport du Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l'homme sur la République démocratique du Congo évoque le spectre de crimes de guerre et de crimes contre l'humanité dans le Nord et le Sud-Kivu., 

HRC60 Press Conference: Report of the Sudan Fact-Finding Mission - 09 September 2025

2

1

2

Press Conferences , Edited News | HRC

HRC60 Press Conference: Report of the Sudan Fact-Finding Mission - 09 September 2025 ENG FRA

A high-level independent rights probe into the Sudan crisis on Tuesday condemned the many grave crimes committed against civilians by all parties to the war, citing disturbing evidence indicating that they had been “deliberately targeted, displaced and starved”.

Ukraine attacks - health update - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO

Ukraine attacks - health update - WHO ENG FRA

Ukraine: ‘Relentless’ attacks rattle health system as winter approaches: WHO

Ambulances attacked, chronically ill patients lacking care and no peace in sight: for millions of Ukrainians, the run-up to another winter of war is just the latest life-or-death challenge they face, the UN health agency (WHO) said on Tuesday.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights presents report on Sri Lanka to 60th HRC

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights presents report on Sri Lanka to 60th HRC ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his report on Sri Lanka to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

HRC 60 HC Volker Türk Global update speech

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

HRC 60 HC Volker Türk Global update speech ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his global update to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

DRC: UN report raises spectre of war crimes and crimes against humanity

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

DRC: UN report raises spectre of war crimes and crimes against humanity ENG FRA

A UN report on the Democratic Republic of Congo raises specter of war crimes and crimes against humanity in North and South Kivu, according to UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.