UNOG Bi-weekly press briefing Humanitarian Situation in Syria 29 January 2021
/
1:21
/
MP4
/
99.6 MB

Edited News | UNHCR

UNOG Bi-weekly press briefing Humanitarian Situation in Syria 29 January 2021 - OCHA

Torrential rains in Syria damage tents, devastate lives of people in camps

More than 120,000 people living in some 300 displacement sites across northwest Syria are now facing a catastrophe caused by torrential rain and strong winds, according to the United Nations. At least 21,700 tents are estimated to have been damaged in the floods.

Heavy rainfall and floods in north-west Syria in recent weeks have had a devastating impact on displaced people living in self-made camps, and the situation is going from bad to worse”, said Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) at a news briefing today at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

OCHA reports that there are 2,7 million displaced people in Idlib and other parts of northwest Syria, including 1,6 million people spread out in over 1,300 camps and informal sites. There are not nearly enough health facilities, schools and other essential services for all these people.

“Many people who were already struggling to survive had their food stocks and household items and other possessions washed away, and water sources were contaminated” Laerke said.

“In some cases small children, the elderly, pregnant mothers and other vulnerable people were left stranded in remote areas in the mud, as temperatures dropped below zero,” he added.

Thousands of people have found themselves cut off from all services and support for days, as rescue workers and humanitarian struggled to reach them to provide support.

Although artillery shelling and bombardments have continued to impact communities and cause casualties across the northwest in January, including the Idleb area, open hostilities remain significantly lower compared to last year at the same time before the ceasefire started.

Humanitarian staff are now struggling to reopen access roads to reach the displaced in the north-west with emergency shelter, food, clean water and other supplies. It is a massive undertaking and the work will continue for months”, OCHA’s Jens Laerke said.“So far, the international response has not matched the scale of the crisis”.

In November 2020, OCHA issued a call for US$49 million for priority winterisation activities, including to deal with flooding, but less than half of this has been received to date. People will continue to suffer in sites that lack adequate access roads, gravel, drainage systems and other essential services.

As the 10th anniversary of the Syrian conflict is approaching, the numbers are staggering: twelve million people having been forced from their homes – more than half the pre-conflict population – making it the biggest displacement crisis of this century. Over 80 per cent of the conflict-affected civilian population are women, children and the elderly.

  1. Exterior wide shot, Palais des Nations
  2. Wide shot, press briefing room
  3. SOUNDBITE (English) — Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “Heavy rainfall and floods in north-west Syria in recent weeks have had a devastating impact on displaced people living in self-made camps, and the situation is going from bad to worse”
  4. Close up, UN Geneva spokesperson
  5. SOUNDBITE (English) - Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “Many people who were already struggling to survive had their food stocks and household items and other possessions washed away, and water sources were contaminated. In some cases small children, the elderly, pregnant mothers and other vulnerable people were left stranded in remote areas in the mud, as temperatures dropped below zero”.
  6. Close up, journalist in room
  7. SOUNDBITE (English) - Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “Humanitarian staff are now struggling to reopen access roads to reach the displaced in the north-west with emergency shelter, food, clean water and other supplies. It is a massive undertaking and the work will continue for months. So far, the international response has not matched the scale of the crisis”.
  8. Close up, laptop screen with Zoom participants
  9. Medium shot, journalist at press briefing room at the UN Palais
  10. Medium shot, journalist at press briefing room at the UN Palais
  11. Medium shot, spokesperson at podium

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.