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
In war-torn Sudan, a deadly new cholera outbreak has already claimed more than 100 lives, heightening serious concerns for vulnerable communities including in besieged El-Obeid, where daily drone attacks reportedly continue to hamper aid access.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNIFIL
Ceasefire reduces violence in South Lebanon, but challenges remain as communities face devastation.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Ebola continues to spread in DRC, death toll passes 500 – WHO
The outbreak of the deadly Bundibugyo species of Ebola in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is expanding, while the push to accelerate testing and identify effective treatment options continues, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
2
1
2
Statements , Conferences , Edited News | ITU , ODET , PGA , UN , UNESCO
UN chief António Guterres appealed on Monday for far-reaching, worldwide controls on Artificial Intelligence, as increasingly powerful AI chips that are designed for civilian use shift to the battlefield, where “killer robots” are already the norm.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk addressed the 62nd Human Rights Council during the Interactive Dialogue on Ukraine.
1
1
1
Edited News | WMO
More blistering heatwaves and other weather extremes are increasingly likely across the world now and in coming months linked to strengthening El Niño conditions in the tropical Pacific, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk this morning addressed the 62nd Human Rights Council during the urgent debate on the human rights situation in and around El Obeid, in Sudan.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , WHO
Venezuela earthquake aftermath: ‘breakdown of basic services’, disease risks and health workers missing – UN agencies
As search and rescue operations continue in Venezuela thousands of displaced people are struggling to find shelter while infectious diseases threaten to spread, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk today addressed the 62 Human Rights Council and made the following remarks on the report on Venezuela.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office on Friday called for action to prevent more deaths in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, as well as for investigations and accountability.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , IOM , paho , UNHCR , OHCHR , IFRC
Aid agencies on Friday highlighted massive needs across Venezuela caused by a double earthquake disaster that has killed at least 235 people so far, with search and rescue for people trapped under the rubble still the top priority.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango made the following remarks at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva, on the latest report on sexual violence in the Sudanese conflict.