STORYLINE
As winter arrives in Afghanistan, and with “truly unprecedented levels” of hunger, avoiding widespread starvation “is an immediate priority”, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.
“It's a crisis of hunger and starvation. People don't have enough to eat, and it's very visible,” said Babar Baloch UNHCR spokesperson, as the organization launched a global fundraising winter campaign to help forcibly displaced families in Afghanistan and elsewhere to cope with the most life-threatening months of the year.
Speaking in Geneva following his recent return from Kabul, Mr. Baloch pointed out that a lack of insulated shelters, warm clothes, insufficient food, fuel for heating, and medical supplies are just some of the deprivations confronting forcibly displaced people.
With temperatures “expected to drop to minus 25C, many displaced families lack proper shelter – a primary requirement if they are to survive the bitter cold,” he said.
UNHCR is appealing for much more support for 3.5 million people displaced by conflict inside Afghanistan, including 700,000 who were displaced in 2021.
According to Mr. Baloch, nearly 23 million people, or 55 per cent of the population, are facing extreme levels of hunger, and nearly nine million of them are at risk of famine. This year, some 700,000 displaced people across the country have been assisted by UNHCR, the majority since mid-August.
The UN agency is assisting nearly 60,000 people every week. “But as we reach thousands of people, we find thousands more people who are in need of humanitarian assistance, Mr. Baloch explained, before appealing for “further resources for the most vulnerable, like single mothers with no shelter or food for their children” or older persons who have been displaced are left to take care of orphaned grandchildren, and those taking care of loved ones with special needs.
The UNHCR spokesperson noted that relief supplies have been brought in by the agency’s teams by road through Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries and humanitarian flights.
Five more flights carrying winter supplies are scheduled for next week, Mr. Baloch said, reiterating that support to cope with the extreme conditions will continue until February 2022, including core relief items, such as thermal blankets and warm winter clothing. Shelters are also being repaired and reinforced, and vulnerable families are being provided with cash assistance.
ends
STORY: UNHCR Afghanistan Winter Campaign
TRT: 3’03”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 3 December 2021, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
1. Exterior wide shot, United Nations flags flying.
2. Medium shot, press conference room (B-128), showing speakers and a technician supervising briefing on Zoom.
3. SOUNDBITE (English): UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), spokesperson, Babar Baloch: “The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is certainly not going away. It’s just increasing and multiplying in its scale. Today we're highlighting the need for displaced Afghans during the winter months. UNHCR, the UN Rfugee Agency, is appealing for much more support amid acute and rising humanitarian needs for some 3.5 million people displaced by conflict only inside Afghanistan.”
4. Medium shot, Mr. Baloch delivering his speech, a large-screen TV showing the press briefing being broadcast on Zoom.
5. SOUNDBITE (English): UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), spokesperson, Babar Baloch: “This figure includes some 700’000 that were displaced during this year in 2021 so far. A lack of insulated shelters, warm clothes, insufficient fuel for heating and inadequate amounts of food and medical supplies are just some of the deprivations that the forcibly displaced are facing in Afghanistan. As temperatures begin to plunge below freezing, being in Kabul and other parts of the country in the night, it's already either already below zero or near zero.”
6. Medium shot, a journalist taking notes of the briefing.
7. SOUNDBITE (English): UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), spokesperson, Babar Baloch: “Temperatures are expected to drop to minus 25 Celsius, and many displaced families lack proper shelters, a primary requirement if they are to survive the bitter cold in Afghanistan. The humanitarian crisis is escalating daily in Afghanistan. Hunger in the country has reached truly unprecedented levels. Nearly 23 million people, that's 55 per cent of the population (who) are facing extreme levels of hunger, and nearly nine million of them are at risk of famine.”
8. Medium shot, journalists attending the press conference and a technician supervising the Zoom meeting.
9. SOUNDBITE (English): UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), spokesperson, Babar Baloch: “Currently, we are able to reach nearly 60’000 people every week. But as we reach thousands of people, we find thousands of people more who are in need of humanitarian assistance. Further resources are urgently needed for the most vulnerable, like single mothers with no shelter or food for their children.”
10. Close-up of participant, podium speakers in the background.
11. SOUNDBITE (English): UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), spokesperson, Babar Baloch: “And it's a race against time, not only catching up to reach more people but also finding more people in Afghanistan that that need our support. And it's a crisis of hunger and starvation. People don't have enough to eat, and it's very visible.”
12. Close-up of podium speakers in profile.
13. Medium shot of journalists taking notes and watching.
14. Medium shot of participant.
15. Medium shot of technician.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his report on Sri Lanka to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his global update to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
A UN report on the Democratic Republic of Congo raises specter of war crimes and crimes against humanity in North and South Kivu, according to UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.
1
1
1
Edited News | WMO
As billions of people continue to breathe polluted air that causes more than 4.5 million premature deaths every year, UN climate experts on Friday highlighted how damaging microscopic smoke particles from wildfires play their part, travelling half-way across the world.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence made the following comment on the on-going presidential election process in Cameroon at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN Human Rights Office released a new report on Myanmar, describing death, destruction and desperation which reflect atrocities committed in 2017.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , IFRC , UNHCR
Afghanistan: Humanitarians scramble to reach survivors of deadly quake; response at ‘breaking point’
In remote eastern Afghanistan, aid workers are racing to assist survivors of Sunday’s devastating earthquake as the death toll continues to climb, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, repeated his urgent call for a ceasefire in Gaza on Friday, amid increased military Israeli activity in the enclave’s largest city.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WHO
Amid reports of increased Israeli military operations across Gaza City on Friday, UN aid agencies repeated urgent warnings of ongoing famine and a likely rise in preventable disease, linked to the dire living conditions in the war-shattered enclave.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN calls for Iran to halt executions and move towards ending the death penalty.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan made the following comment on the killing of journalists in Gaza at the bi-weekly press briefing.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday called on Egyptian authorities to end the practice known as “rotation”, which allows Government critics to be held arbitrarily and for prolonged periods.