The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News | OHCHR , WFP
UNOG Bi-weekly press briefing Lebanon Blasts OHCHR - WFP 03 August 2021
STORYLINE
UN rights chief urges accountability for Beirut blasts, one year on
The people of Beirut need to see accountability for the deepening crisis they have faced after the devastating port blasts in the Lebanese capital 12 months ago, the UN right chief said on Tuesday.
“As despair deepens and anger mounts in Lebanon, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet is today stressing the urgent need for the Lebanese Government to ensure a transparent, effective, thorough and impartial investigation into what happened last August and to hold those responsible accountable,” said Marta Hurtado, spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
“One victim, who lost her husband, her brother and a cousin in the blast, said she would keep seeking the truth to her last breath,” she told journalists in Geneva. “The authorities must pursue investigations with similar resolve.”
Accompanying that call, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that many families are finding it harder than ever to cope, a year since the 4 August catastrophe that destroyed large swathes of Beirut, leaving more than 200 dead and over 6,500 injured,
“In the year since the explosions in Beirut port, the currency has plunged to a fifteenth of its former value and inflation has put food out of reach for much of the population,” said WFP spokesperson Tomson Phiri. “In June, WFP assisted nearly 400,000 vulnerable Lebanese, nearly 987,000 Syrian refugees and about 21,000 refugees of other nationalities.”
The alert comes a day ahead of an aid conference for Lebanon on the anniversary of the disaster, hosted by France and the UN, at which French President Emmanuel Macron said he hoped that more than $350 billion in emergency aid would be raised to help the country’s people get back on their feet.
“There was initially a powerful spirit of national solidarity as all elements of society came together in response, and the Government initiated judicial proceedings,” said OCHR’s Marta Hurtado. “But 12 months on, victims and their loved ones are still fighting for justice and truth. Investigations appear to have stalled, amid a worrying lack of transparency and accountability.”
In a related development, UN Children’s Fund UNICEF said on Tuesday that 98 per cent of families in Lebanon are still in need after the blasts.
The assessment highlighted the severity of the trauma children suffered and the dire needs families have experienced, which have been magnified by a collapsing economy, political instability and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The survey was conducted in July and based on telephone interviews with 1,187 households.
Reports indicate that an initial investigation into the port blasts has not made significant progress, in a year that has seen an ongoing financial crisis and political instability.
ends
STORY: Lebanon Blasts – OHCHR, WFP
TRT: 1 mins 56s
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 3 August 2021 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior wide shot, Palais des Nations flag alley, nations’ flags flying, a bright day.
- Wide shot, podium with speakers whose image is shown on a big-screen TV in press conference room, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Marta Hurtado, spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “As despair deepens and anger mounts in Lebanon, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet is today stressing the urgent need for the Lebanese Government to ensure a transparent, effective, thorough and impartial investigation into what happened last August and to hold those responsible accountable.”
- Wide shot, journalists and participants at press conference.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Tomson Phiri, spokesperson, World Food Programme (WFP): “In the year since the explosions in Beirut port, the currency has plunged to a fifteenth of its former value and inflation has put food out of reach for much of the population.”
- Wide shot, showing UNTV camera and panel light with journalists and press conference participants, seated.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Tomson Phiri, spokesperson, World Food Programme (WFP): “In June, WFP assisted nearly 400,000 vulnerable Lebanese, nearly 987,000 Syrian refugees and about 21,000 refugees of other nationalities.”
- Medium-wide, press room with podium and journalist, masked.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Marta Hurtado, spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “There was initially a powerful spirit of national solidarity as all elements of society came together in response, and the Government initiated judicial proceedings. But 12 months on, victims and their loved ones are still fighting for justice and truth. Investigations appear to have stalled, amid a worrying lack of transparency and accountability.”
- Medium-wide, podium, journalists and participants, all masked.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Marta Hurtado, spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “One victim, who lost her husband, her brother and a cousin in the blast, said she would keep seeking the truth to her last breath. The authorities must pursue investigations with similar resolve.”
- Close-up, fingers typing on laptop keyboard.
- Medium, big-screen TV with podium to rear.
- Medium, podium speakers shot from below.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Repeated attacks on humanitarian warehouses put vital medical aid at risk in Ukraine - WHO
A new airstrike overnight damaged one of the main warehouses used by the UN health agency to store humanitarian medical supplies in the Kyiv region, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. This is the third attack to affect a WHO-used storage in the last three months.
2
2
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | WMO
Powerful El Niño heightens extreme-weather risks through 2027, as countries brace for impact - WMO
Fuelled by extraordinarily warm waters across the tropical Pacific Ocean, the El Niño climate pattern is expected to intensify in the coming months. Forecasters are almost certain that it will persist through February next year, with unusually warm conditions expected across the globe.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , IFRC , UN WOMEN , WHO
Nepal flood deaths near 1,000 as those spared struggle to survive – UN humanitarians
With the death toll in Nepal’s catastrophic flash floods inching towards 1,000, rescue workers are facing harsh conditions while survivors lack access to food, safe water and health care, humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNDRR , IFRC , WHO
Nepal: Flooding disaster “not over” as humanitarians work around the clock
While search and rescue efforts continued Friday following flash floods and mudslides in northern Nepal, UN humanitarians are taking stock of the devastation amid concerns over more flooding to come.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNIFIL
Damaged roads, disrupted services and renewed military activity are putting civilians at risk in south Lebanon, UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) warns.
The UN peacekeeping mission is urging restraint and renewed political engagement to prevent further escalation.
1
1
1
Edited News | ICRC , UNODA
Amid unconfirmed reports that fully autonomous and AI-guided drones are now being used on the battlefield, UN chief António Guterres and the President of the Red Cross on Tuesday renewed their urgent call for stricter controls, before it is too late.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Somalia: child hunger surges as humanitarian aid dries up – UNICEF
The global funding crisis for vital lifesaving work is taking a growing toll on the most vulnerable children in Somalia, where hundreds of health and nutrition facilities have been forced to close, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
As the deadliest Ebola outbreak in DR Congo’s history continued spreading on Friday, UN responders renewed their urgent appeal for immediate international support, with existing funding for lifesaving work critically low.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
DRC: In the fight against Ebola, bikers transporting dead bodies hold key to community engagement - WHO
From the frontlines of the deadliest-ever Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) shared details on Tuesday of a massive push for community engagement, a day after yet another ambulance attack.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNFPA
Sudan: The harrowing reality of giving birth in a war zone
Sudanese women about to give birth are losing their babies and sometimes their own lives because of a lack of specialist healthcare support, amid the ongoing war, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WHO
Colombia earthquake: International teams ready to support, says UN
As earthquake rescue efforts across western Colombia continued on Tuesday, UN agencies said that they stood ready to help “with everything we've got” if and when the request came from the authorities.
2
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences | HRC
Myanmar's military has carried out a sustained campaign of deliberate attacks on civilians – including airstrikes on homes, schools and camps for displaced people, alongside arbitrary detention, torture and sexual violence – Human Rights Council-appointed investigators said on Tuesday.