Sudan - Agreement Signed to Protect Civilians UNITAMS - UNHCR - UNICEF 12 May 2023
/
3:21
/
MP4
/
385.1 MB

Edited News | UNHCR , UNICEF

Sudan: Warring parties’ accord is ‘first important step toward alleviating human suffering’, says top UN official

Sudan: Warring parties’ accord is ‘first important step toward alleviating human suffering’, says top UN official

The signing of an agreement by the Sudanese warring parties in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah on Thursday night is a “first important step toward alleviating human suffering and protecting the lives of civilians in Sudan”, the UN’s top official in the country, Volker Perthes, said on Friday.

The agreement intended to lay down the groundwork for humanitarian assistance to resume in Sudan and stipulated that parties to the conflict need to facilitate the safe passage of aid supplies, the withdrawal of forces from hospital and clinics and the respectful burial of the dead.

Mr. Perthes, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan and Head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) said that both sides had committed to continuing their talks with the mediation of Saudi Arabia and the United States. They had reconfirmed on Friday morning their intent to stay and continue talks towards a real ceasefire, which would need to be accompanied by a monitoring mechanism.

Mr. Perthes noted that earlier ceasefires and humanitarian pauses had come up short because they had all been unilateral announcements. The next step will be to negotiate a ceasefire which would allow those action from the signed agreement to take place. “This is the first time that we have a mutual declaration – this is not a ceasefire- but a mutual signed declaration of the two warring parties on respecting international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and some more concrete provisions like vacating hospitals and medical facilities, which is good,” Mr. Perthes said. He added that “of course, the aim is to have a ceasefire which is also mutually agreed which I hope would give more stability and more respect to a ceasefire than when it is only based on unilateral (declarations).”

Also on Friday, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that “around 200,000 refugees and returnees have been forced to flee the country with more crossing borders daily, seeking safety”. According to UNHCR spokesperson Olga Sarrado “additionally, hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced with many more people confined to their homes unable to access necessities”.

Ms. Sarrado explained that “the humanitarian response to this emergency is challenging and costly, not only inside Sudan because of insecurity but also as refugees and returnees are arriving in remote border areas in neighboring countries where services and infrastructures are scarce or non-existent. The coming rainy season will make logistics even harder as many roads will become impassible.”

For neighboring Chad, she said that “an additional 30,000 refugees have been arriving in the recent days, this makes the total number of refugees in Chad to about 60,000. The majority are women, and with a large number of women being pregnant.” According to UNHCR, a full 20 per cent of children being between six months and five years caught up in the conflict have been found to be acutely malnourished. To help, additional emergency relief has been airlifted to Chad from the UNHCR warehouse in Dubai."

UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, reported on Friday that a factory in Khartoum producing therapeutic food for children suffering from malnutrition had been burned down, with vital nutritional support incinerated.

“That fire has destroyed 14,500 cartons of ready to use therapeutic food and that was set to be transported to locations for what is life-saving treatment for around 14,500 children for six to eight weeks. You can equate one carton to one child,” said James Elder, UNICEF's spokesperson.

The destroyed factory had been producing 60 per cent of all therapeutic food to treat malnourished children in Sudan. To respond to the malnutrition crisis in Sudan, UNICEF has sent 34,000 cartons of ready-to-use therapeutic food from France.

Despite the selfless efforts by health professionals on the ground, the conflict has continued to have a very severe effect on children, whose access to health care remains limited and unsafe.

Describing the food carton factory incident as “probably the darkest, most distinct illustration to date of how this conflict is threatening the lives of children through multiple means”, UNICEF’s Mr. Elder said that this is certainly “another bitter blow to the most vulnerable children in Sudan.”

It remains unclear whether the factory was torched intentionally or accidentally.

-ends-

STORY: Sudan – Agreement Signed to Protect Civilians: UNITAMS – UNHCR - UNICEF

TRT: 03’21”

SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
RELEASE DATE: 12 May 2023
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND


SHOTLIST

1. Exterior wide shot: UN flag alley UN Geneva.

  1. Wide shot of journalists, conference room, Palais des Nations, Geneva
  2. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Volker Perthes, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan and Head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS): “The last important element of this understanding that was signed yesterday night is that both sides commit to continue their talks under and with the mediation of the Saudis and the Americans.”
  3. Medium shot of podium and speaker on the monitor, conference room, Palais des Nations
  4. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Volker Perthes, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan and Head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS): “This is the first time that we have a mutual declaration – this is not a ceasefire- but a mutual signed declaration of the two warring parties on respecting international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and some more concrete provisions like vacating hospitals and medical facilities, which is good. And of course the aim is to have a ceasefire which is also mutually agreed which I hope would give more stability and more respect to a ceasefire than when it is only based on unilateral declarations.”
  5. Medium shot: podium with monitor and UN logo in the background
  6. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Olga Sarrado, UNHCR spokesperson: “Around 200,000 refugees and returnees have been forced to flee the country with more crossing borders daily, seeking safety. Additionally, hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced with many more people confined to their homes unable to access necessities.”
  7. Medium shot: UN logo, with moderator and monitor in background
  8. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Olga Sarrado, UNHCR spokesperson: “The humanitarian response to this emergency is challenging and costly, not only inside Sudan because of insecurity but also as refugees and returnees are arriving in remote border areas in neighbouring countries where services and infrastructures are scarce or non-existent. The coming rainy season will make logistics even harder as many roads will become impassible.”
  9. Wide shot: journalists and technicians in the room
  10. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Olga Sarrado, UNHCR spokesperson: “In Chad, an additional 30,000 refugees have been arriving in the recent days, this makes the total number of refugees in Chad to about 60,000. The majority are women, and with a large number of women being pregnant. One-fifth of the children being between six months and 5 years have been found to be acutely malnourished. Additional emergency relief for example to Chad has been airlifted from the UNHCR warehouse in Dubai.”
  11. Wide shot: journalists, conference room
  12. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): James Elder, UNICEF spokesperson: “That fire has destroyed 14,500 cartons of ready to use therapeutic food and that was set to be transported to locations for what is life-saving treatment for around 14,500 children for six to eight weeks. You can equate one carton to one child.”
  13. Medium shot: podium, conference room
  14. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): James Elder, UNICEF spokesperson: “This is probably the darkest, most distinct illustration to date of how this conflict is threatening the lives of children through multiple means. Certainly it is another bitter blow to the most vulnerable children in Sudan.”
  15. Close-up: technician, conference room in background
  16. Wide shot: cameras, technicians, journalists in room
  17. Medium shot: journalists

Similar Stories

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on attacks around aid sites in Gaza

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on attacks around aid sites in Gaza ENG FRA

“Deadly attacks on distraught civilians trying to access the paltry amounts of food aid in Gaza, are unconscionable. For a third day running, people were killed around an aid distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. This morning, we have received information that dozens more people were killed and injured,” Jeremy Laurence UN Human Rights spokesperson said at the biweekly press briefing in Geneva.

Gaza aid update - OCHA 30 May 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA

Gaza aid update - OCHA 30 May 2025 ENG FRA

Gaza ‘hungriest place on earth’ with aid stymied – UN humanitarians

Starving Gazans continue to be deprived of aid as international relief efforts are being severely constrained by the Israeli authorities, the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office OCHA said on Friday.

Gaza humanitarian update - OCHA, UNRWA

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , UNRWA

Gaza humanitarian update - OCHA, UNRWA ENG FRA

As a controversial United States and Israel-backed aid distribution plan gets underway in Gaza, the UN called on Tuesday for an “immediate surge” of its own pre-positioned supplies to help prevent starvation.

Uganda UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani  urges president to reject bill allowing trials of civilians in military courts

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

Uganda UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani urges president to reject bill allowing trials of civilians in military courts ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani today urged Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to reject a bill that was recently endorsed by parliament allowing trials of civilians in military courts. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces Amendment Bill 2025, which was passed on 20 May and now awaits presidential signature to become law, among others broadens the jurisdiction of military courts, authorising them to try a wide range of offences against civilians.

UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango: South Sudan: UN human rights chief decries escalating hostilities, arbitrary arrests and hate speech

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango: South Sudan: UN human rights chief decries escalating hostilities, arbitrary arrests and hate speech ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango today warned of a further deterioration in the human rights situation in South Sudan at the bi-weekly briefing in Geneva.

Syria humanitarian update OCHA - WHO 23 May 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , WHO

Syria humanitarian update OCHA - WHO 23 May 2025 ENG FRA

Syria: ‘Staggering’ needs amid insecurity, health care crisis  - UN humanitarians

Millions of people in Syria continue to face mortal danger from unexploded munitions, disease and malnutrition and urgent support is required, UN humanitarians said on Friday.

Gaza health update - UNRWA - OCHA - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | UNRWA , OCHA , WHO

Gaza health update - UNRWA - OCHA - WHO ENG FRA

UN life-saving aid allowed to trickle into Gaza as civilian needs mount

Amid calls for more humanitarian trucks to enter the food and medicine-deprived Palestinian enclave of Gaza, UN humanitarians have received permission from Israel for “around 100” more aid trucks to cross into the Strip after only five were let in yesterday,  But the scale of relief efforts allowed remains entirely insufficient to meet the urgent needs of people there, humanitarian workers say.

Press vests becoming a target - war reporter Christina Assi

1

1

1

Edited News

Press vests becoming a target - war reporter Christina Assi ENG FRA

A war reporter from Lebanon who lost a limb in the line of duty is calling for an end to impunity for attacks against journalists.

ITU 160th Anniversary - 17 May 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | ITU

ITU 160th Anniversary - 17 May 2025 ENG FRA

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) commemorated 160 years dedicated to connecting the world on Saturday, 17 May in Geneva, Switzerland, during the annual World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

Gaza humanitarian update – WHO, OCHA 16 May 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO , OCHA

Gaza humanitarian update – WHO, OCHA 16 May 2025 ENG FRA

Gazans ‘in terror’ after another night of deadly strikes and siege

Amid reports that Israeli strikes across Gaza into Friday killed at least 64 people, aid teams once again pushed back strongly at allegations that aid is being diverted to Hamas and pleaded for the blockade to end.

UN Human Rights raises human rights concerns about deportations from the United States of America

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights raises human rights concerns about deportations from the United States of America ENG FRA

Deportations over recent months of large numbers of non-nationals from the United States of America, especially to countries other than those of their origin, raise a number of human rights concerns, the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned on Tuesday.   

Gaza health update - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO

Gaza health update - WHO ENG FRA

Gaza: Over 50 child malnutrition deaths amid aid blockade; entire generation will be ‘permanently affected’ - WHO

In the aid desert of Gaza, malnourished children are dying while survivors can expect a lifetime of dire health problems, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.