Gaza humanitarian update OCHA - WHO
/
2:47
/
MP4
/
204.4 MB
Download

Edited News | OCHA , WHO

Gaza humanitarian update OCHA - WHO

Aid surging into Gaza ‘at scale’ but massive needs remain: OCHA, WHO

Aid is surging into Gaza “at scale” in line with the ceasefire agreement that has seen Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners released and families reunited, but massive needs remain across the devastated enclave, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.

On day two of the ceasefire which entered into force on Sunday 19 January, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, welcomed the “surge” in lifesaving humanitarian assistance into the enclave, after 15 months of devastating Israeli bombardment.

Aid trucks began entering Gaza “a few minutes after the deal entered into force on Sunday,” said OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke. “Up to now - these two first days of entry - there [have] been no reports of looting or attacks against aid workers.”

More than 900 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Monday, as the truce held between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas, according to the Israel authorities and the ceasefire’s guarantors, the US, Qatar and Egypt.

“At long last, aid at scale is entering,” said Mr. Laerke. “At long last, more hostages were released and can be reunited with their families and at long last, women and minors were freed from detention. It’s a tremendous hope, fragile but vital; this deal must hold.”

Immediate priorities for Gazans include “getting food in, opening bakeries, getting healthcare, restocking hospitals, repairing water networks, repairing shelter, family reunification,” the OCHA spokesperson told journalists in Geneva. “A lot of the things that we have done throughout, but nowhere near at the scale needed. And that is what we hope and work towards to be able to do now.”

UN humanitarians have long maintained that the entire population of Gaza – more than two million people – depends on such essentials. They include children, who account for about half of the Strip’s population, “with many surviving on just one meal a day”, OCHA said in an update.

“We have to and we will maximize delivery through this opening. Hunger is widespread, people are homeless; disease, injuries are rampant. Children are separated and there's a cloud of deep psychological trauma hanging over Gaza that needs to be dealt with.”

Urgent health needs must also be addressed across Gaza where one in two hospitals are not functional, others are only partially functional and the majority of health facilities have sustained damage, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO). “The idea is really to as quickly as possible, try to provide health facilities to people of Gaza, focusing on emergency care, maternal and child health and other areas,” said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic.

He added: “We should not forget other areas and that's 12,000 patients still need to be evacuated outside Gaza. We need to make sure that those people can go and receive medical care they need. We've been talking to 25,000 people [who] have sustained life changing injuries. These people need rehabilitation services that are not available right now.”

ends

Story: “Gaza humanitarian aid update – OCHA, WHO” – 21 January 2025

Speakers:

  • Jens Laerke, OCHA
  • Tarik Jasarevic, WHO

TRT: 02’47”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 21 January 2025 - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Geneva Press briefing

RESTRICTIONS: None

SHOTLIST

  1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson: “I think we will all remember Sunday, 19 January; sigh of relief at long last, aid at scale is entering. At long last, more hostages were released and can be reunited with their families and at long last, women and minors were freed from detention. It’s a tremendous hope, fragile but vital; this deal must hold.”
  2. Wide shot: journalists at the press conference room.
  3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson: “Our priorities are clear: getting food in, opening bakeries, getting healthcare, restocking hospitals, repairing water networks, repairing shelter, family reunification. A lot of the things that we have done throughout, but nowhere near at the scale needed. And that is what we hope and work towards to be able to do now.”
  4. Medium shot: podium speakers.
  5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson: “Hundreds of trucks have entered. They started a few minutes after the deal entered into force on Sunday. We have to and we will maximize delivery through this opening. Hunger is widespread, people are homeless; disease, injuries are rampant. Children are separated and there's a cloud of deep psychological trauma hanging over Gaza that needs to be dealt with.”
  6. Wide shot: podium speakers and journalists.
  7. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson: “Up to now, these two first days of entry, there has been no reports of looting or attacks against aid workers.”
  8. Medium-wide shot: podium speakers, journalists.
  9. SOUNDBITE (English) Tarik Jasarevic, WHO spokesperson: “The idea is really to as quickly as possible, try to provide health facilities to people of Gaza, focusing on emergency care, maternal and child health and other areas. So, half of hospitals are not functional, others partially functional and [the] majority of health facilities sustained some sort of damage.”
  10. Medium-wide, journalists.
  11. SOUNDBITE (English) Tarik Jasarevic, WHO spokesperson: “We should not forget other areas and that's 12,000 patients still need to be evacuated outside Gaza. We need to make sure that those people can go and receive medical care they need. We've been talking to 25,000 people [who] have sustained life changing injuries. These people need rehabilitation services that are not available right now.”
  12. Wide, journalists, control booths to read of Press room.
  13. Medium, journalist.
  14. Medium-wide, journalists.


Audio Files 2
Download Gaza humanitarian update OCHA - WHO (Edited Story)
Download
Download Gaza humanitarian update OCHA - WHO (Edited Story)
Download

Similar Stories

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.

Gaza aid update - UNICEF, UNRWA, WHO 09 May 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO , UNICEF , UNRWA

Gaza aid update - UNICEF, UNRWA, WHO 09 May 2025 ENG FRA

Israel’s aid plan will force Gaza families to choose ‘between displacement and death’ – UN humanitarians

Israel’s plan to take control of relief assistance in Gaza risks increasing the suffering of families already exhausted by 18 months of war by putting their lives in danger and inciting more displacement, using aid as “bait”, UN humanitarians said on Friday.

Gaza humanitarian blockade  OCHA - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , WHO

Gaza humanitarian blockade OCHA - WHO ENG FRA

UN Humanitarians reject Israeli plan to take over aid delivery

The reported Israeli proposal to deliver humanitarian supplies through hubs controlled by the military would be a breach of the core principles of neutral, impartial and independent aid delivery, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said on Tuesday.

 

Gaza two months blockade - OCHA 02 MAY 2025

1

1

1

Edited News , B-roll | OCHA

Gaza two months blockade - OCHA 02 MAY 2025 ENG FRA

Gaza: ‘Worst-case scenario’ unfolds as two-month aid blockade deepens suffering - OCHA

Two months into a devastating aid blockade of Gaza food has run out and people are fighting over water amid relentless bombing, the UN’s humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) said on Friday.

/Includes OCHA footage from Gaza City/