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HRC - Human Rights Situation in Human rights Situation in the Syrian Arab Republic 01 April 2022
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Edited News | IOM , UNICEF , WFP , WHO

Bi-Weekly Press Briefing: Update Turkiye/Syria earthquakes - WFP/UNICEF/IOM/WHO

ENG
  1. Medium shot, UN Geneva flag alley.
  2. Wide shot, press room with moderator and screens with speakers.
  3. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Kenn Crossley, WFP Country Director in Syria: “We very, very much welcome this announcement that there are additional crossings now to get into northwest Syria from Turkiye. We think it's extremely important that we have all possible humanitarian access to people wherever they are from wherever we can get to them.”
  4. Medium shot, journalists looking at screen to speaker
  5. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Kenn Crossley, WFP Country Director in Syria: “Roughly 90,000 people within northwest Syria have been receiving specific food assistance related directly to the impact of the earthquake. They've been also receiving regular assistance through our previous pipeline, another approximately 90,000 people”.
  6. Medium shot, background of podium + speaker on screen
  7. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Kenn Crossley, WFP Country Director in Syria: “So within northwest Syria, where a lot of the attention has been focused we're confident that we've been able to work with partners to provide enough food for between 150 and 180,000 people as of today”.
  8. Medium shot, journalists in press briefing room in front of screen with speakers
  9. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - James Elder, spokesperson for UNICEF: “This is trauma on top of trauma. I call it what you will compound trauma for these children is unyielding trauma. To give a quick sense of that psychological first aid, we've trained 70 additional trainers in Syria. We've released hundreds of recreational kits which bring basics of stimulation and learning, a little bit of normalcy”.
  10. Wide shot, journalist taking a photo with journalists sitting behind
  11. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Paul Dillon, spokesperson for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM): ”In addition, four other trucks have also left from this sprawling IOM warehouse we operate in Gaziantep bound for Bab al-Hawa. We're still waiting on confirmation that these two convoys have crossed”.
  12. Medium shot, journalist looking at speaker on screen
  13. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “The government has just recently on the 12th of February given the recent blanket approval for cross line movements for U.N. convoys. That's important to say. But again, this is not only from one side. This also needs the receiving side for convoys to be ready and to exceed receive convoys. This is why this is a constant back and forth negotiations. Every party has to agree to receive convoys to let them go unhindered and that is the biggest challenge”.
  14. Close up, hands typing
  15. Wide shot, cameraman filming with journalists sitting in the background
  16. Wide shot, journalists taking notes

UN humanitarian agencies on Tuesday welcomed the news that two more border crossings are to open into northwest Syria from Türkiye, to transport relief supplies for survivors of the earthquake disaster in both countries that have likely claimed tens of thousands of lives.

“We very, very much welcome this announcement that there are additional crossings now to get into northwest Syria from Türkiye,” said Kenn Crossley, WFP Country Director in Syria, after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed to temporarily open the crossing points of Bab Al-Salam and Al Ra’ee for an initial period of three months. 

Speaking from Damascus to journalists in Geneva via Zoom, Mr. Crossley insisted that humanitarian access needed reach people “wherever they are from, wherever we can get to them”.

Drawing on the existing partnerships, supply chains and food stocks, WFP began distributing hot-meals and ready to eat food in shelters with local partners within hours from the earthquake.

“Roughly 90,000 people within northwest Syria have been receiving specific food assistance related directly to the impact of the earthquake”, the WFP official said. “They've been also receiving regular assistance through our previous pipeline, another approximately 90,000 people.”

WFP’s logistics cluster is working with all humanitarian partners to boost aid access through the new entry points into northwest Syria. A WFP convoy of 18 trucks of food assistance, as well as other aid from multiple UN agencies is ready to bring assistance into northwest Syria. 

"So, within northwest Syria, where a lot of the attention has been focused, we're confident that we've been able to work with partners to provide enough food for between 150,000 and 180,000 people as of today", said Mr. Crossley.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) also announced earlier on Tuesday that an 11-truck convoy left the agency’s Gaziantep warehouse bound for about Bab Al-Salam, one of the reopened border crossings.

“In addition, four other trucks have also left from this sprawling IOM warehouse we operate in Gaziantep bound for Bab al-Hawa”, said Paul Dillon, IOM’s spokesperson, in reference to the existing cross-border entry point into largely opposition-held northwest Syria. “We're still waiting on confirmation that these two convoys have crossed.”

Eight days since the devastating earthquakes, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) highlighted that youngsters are still extremely vulnerable in impacted areas: some 4.6 million lived in Türkiye before the disaster and another 2.5 million were known to be in Syria. The number of children killed and injured during the quakes and their aftermath has not yet been confirmed, but is likely to be in the many thousands, said UNICEF spokesperson James Elder.

“This is trauma on top of trauma”, the UNICEF spokesperson said. “I call it what you will compound trauma for these children is unyielding trauma. To give a quick sense of that psychological first aid, we've trained 70 additional trainers in Syria. We've released hundreds of recreational kits which bring basics of stimulation and learning, a little bit of normalcy”.

In both Türkiye and Syria, child protection is a high priority for UNICEF, including the identification and reunification of separated and unaccompanied children. Some of the children have been displaced five or six times.

Reiterating the importance of establishing cross-line movements into northwest Syria, Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the “the Government has just recently on 12 February given the recent blanket approval for cross-line movements for UN convoys. That's important to say.”. He added: “Again, this is not only from one side, this also needs the receiving side for convoys to be ready and to …receive convoys. This is why this is a constant back-and-forth negotiations. Every party has to agree to receive convoys to let them go unhindered and that is the biggest challenge.”

Teleprompter
Pasamos Aura al projecto El Treinta Republica Arabic city human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic.
[Other language spoken]
I'll introduce this representative.
Ambassador, the UK has the honour to present draught Resolution L30 on the human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic on behalf of a group of states, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Qatar, Turkey, the United States and of course, the UK.
[Other language spoken]
President, the brutalities and horrors that we have seen in recent weeks in Ukraine should remind us the people living in Syria have seen similar attacks for over a decade.
Medical workers in hospitals, teachers and students in schools, people at prayer in mosques, young children at home on the farm, a bride on her wedding day and her four young sisters.
These are just some of the tragic deaths that have taken place in the last six months and that are reported in the latest Commission of Inquiry report.
As the Commission of Inquiry said so succinctly, the horrors of the conflict have left no Syrian family untouched.
Now more than ever, this Council needs to address this tragic situation.
And today, Mr.
President, we need to send a message loud and clear to the Syrian people.
[Other language spoken]
This draught resolution before us focuses on key violations and abuses happening across Syria.
It expresses deep concern for the millions of Syrians who remain displaced far from their homes and the hundreds of thousands of people missing and detained.
It calls for a strong response to address the effects of conflict on children, the horrendous sexual and gender based violence.
It welcomes progress made on international accountability, including the recent verdict made at the Kabulens Regional Court which found a former Syrian intelligence officer guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
And perhaps most importantly of all, it seeks to renew the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry, whose excellent documentation work remains vital.
We held two informal negotiations on this draught, and I'd like to express our sincere thanks to all those who engaged constructively in this process.
[Other language spoken]
President, given the scale of the devastation of this conflict, the very least that this Council can do is to adopt this resolution and show the people of Syria that we have not forgotten them.
The vote is called on this resolution.
I would urge my fellow members of this Council to vote in favourite.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you, Mercer.
I recognise France.
Catastrophic and continue exhibit transfer this organisation you need or charged what the the.
Systematic.
General is a systematic, particularly regime, resolution.
Responsibility respective.
[Other language spoken]
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Resolution, deposit resolution, yes, there in adoption par consensus resolution and we hope in an adoption by consensus.
Thank you, Mercedes de la Palabra, the delegation of the United States of America.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
The US strongly supports the mandate of the mandate renewal for the Commission of Inquiry.
The COI has provided excellent and strong reporting despite the ongoing refusal by the regime to engage or provide access.
We urge all delegations to vote yes on the resolution, should a vote be called.
The resolution, which coincides with the 11th year anniversary of the violent repression of the peaceful uprising in Syria, serves as a reminder to all delegations of the immense suffering, displacement and trauma Syrian civilians have endured and continue to endure.
As the COI reported, nearly 7,000,000 have been internally displaced and approximately 7,000,000 more are refugees.
This is over half of the pre war Syrian population.
Unfortunately, Syria remains unsafe for return.
As the COI has reported, returnees are vulnerable to retaliation by the regime, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, sexual violence, confiscation of property and forced conscription.
The resolution rightly addresses a range of human rights abuses and violations committed in Syria, including but not limited to the repeated use of chemical weapons, torture and I'll treatment in detention facilities, particularly those run by the Syrian Military Intelligence, where the COI and Syrian Civil Civil Society have repeatedly documented violations.
The resolution asks the Syrian authorities to clarify the fate and whereabouts of the hundreds of thousands of missing in Syria, including the 344,684 persons that the regime claims received amnesties.
We_the need for an inclusive political solution to the Syrian Conflict that includes the release of all arbitrarily detained Syrians The.
US CONTINUES to stand with the Syrian People in demanding accountability for those responsible for human rights abuses and violations I.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Mass Solicitor Le Damas la Palabra Aura al Pais concernido de la Palabra Le Thingio Representative Permanente de la Petronica Syria and the My Heart of the Syrian Arab Republic now has the floor.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
[Other language spoken]
Was this?
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The future.
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[Other language spoken]
The Russian Federation, please.
Movements in the community.
[Other language spoken]
And the.
After reprieve, the ignorance.
The.
The humanitarian crisis.
[Other language spoken]
Sperciva, Tina La Bilabra, Thank you, delegation of Brazil.
Ambassador, you have the floor.
President Brazil is deeply concerned with the findings of the Commission of Inquiry presented on its latest report and with the worsening of the human rights situation in Syria.
We condemned in the strongest terms the violations and abuses perpetrated in the country and encourage all parties to implement a complete, immediate and nationwide ceasefire to allow for political solution to the conflict that is both inclusive and sustainable.
While we support the Human Rights Council engagement in this process, we believe that the draught resolution presented to this Council remains.
Unbalanced Although it is unquestionable that the primary responsibility to protect the Syrian population lies with the Syrian government, it must be recognised that the myriad of other actors in the country also bear responsibility for human rights violations and abuses in Syria.
For this reason, we will abstain in the vote of the draught resolution.
This does not mean in any way a lack of support to the renewal of the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry, which we continue to fully support.
We hope that the future draught resolutions on this matter can advance towards a non selective, impartial and objective text to Regal Venezuela.
Venezuela has the floor.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, President Valencia comina con economia de gatara.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you and I recognise Cuba Gracia, President.
Thank you, President.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
The delegations may now vote.
All delegations have now voted.
If that is the case, voting is now closed.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
This relates to all Solicito delegation the floor.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
President, we abstained during the voting on the resolution L13 entitled Situation of Human Rights in Belarus in the run up to the 2020 presidential election and in its aftermath.
And as an explanation, we would like to emphasise that Kazakhstan stands for strengthening of the global order based on the UN Charter and other universal universally recognised principles and norms of international law.
We are we are committed to the principle of non interference in the internal affairs of other states as entrance in the Charter.
We believe that the people of Belarus shall determine their future in accordance with its international obligations and national legislation in the framework of a peaceful, wise and inclusive dialogue.
Kazakhstan, as a responsible member, recalls that the UN General Assembly's resolution 60 slash 251 states that the work of the human.