The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
STORYLINE
Following the serious allegations that several staff working for the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip were involved in the 7 October terror attacks in southern Israel which has led numerous states to temporarily suspend their payment to the aid organization, the World Health Organization (WHO) today (30 January) appealed to donors “not to suspend their funding to UNRWA at this critical moment. Cutting of funding will only hurt the people of Gaza who desperately needs support”.
When briefing journalists at the UN in Geneva, WHO’s spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said that “criminal activity can never go unpunished. But the discussion right now is much of a distraction from what's really going on every day, every hour, every minute in Gaza. It's a distraction from close to 27,000 deaths by now, out of which 70 per cent are women and children.”
Mr. Lindmeier added that “it's a distraction from preventing an entire population from access to clean water, food, shelter. It's a distraction from preventing electricity to come into Gaza for more than 100 days.”
In addition to its programmes in the Gaza Strip, UNRWA provides vital humanitarian aid to Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and in the West Bank including East Jerusalem.
In the Gaza Strip, the agency is providing lifesaving aid to over two million civilians, operating shelters for over one million and providing food, water and healthcare services.
Mr. Lindmeier reminded of a very dire situation where the “food and water situation is extremely bad, food cut off in Gaza since more than 100 days, fresh water supplies are cut off, water is mixed with wastewater”. Also, the pumping stations are not working because of a lack of fuel and the population is at the border of famine.
“We had a convoy just this morning trying to reach Nasser Hospital with patients, health care staff, everybody. They are needing food, but the very needy population already before basically took the supplies - as we can call it - this was a self-distribution of supplies, which only shows how dire the needs are,” said the WHO spokesperson.
According to the latest report of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), hostilities were particularly intense in Khan Younis, with heavy fighting reported near Nasser and Al Amal hospitals. There are also reports of Palestinians fleeing to the southern town of Rafah, which is already overcrowded, despite the lack of safe passage.
OCHA’s spokesperson Jens Laerke emphasized that “UNRWA has not stopped working, UNRWA continues to work. It's the pipeline of funding that is in danger while it’s irreplaceable in the humanitarian operation.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will host a meeting today (30 January) with major UNRWA donors in New York to issue an urgent plea to keep lifesaving funds flowing.
-ends-
STORY: Gaza Update – WHO, OCHA
TRT: 2:09”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 30 January 2024 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Exterior medium shot: UN flag alley
- Wide shot: speakers at the press conference
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “Criminal activity can never go unpunished. But the discussion right now is much of a distraction from what's really going on every day, every hour, every minute in Gaza. It's a distraction from close to 27,000 deaths by now, out of which 70 per cent are women and children.”
- Wide shot: press room with journalists
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “It's a distraction from preventing an entire population from access to clean water, food, shelter. It's a distraction from preventing electricity to come into Gaza for more than 100 days.”
- Medium shot: journalist standing in press room
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “We appeal to donors not to suspend their funding to UNRWA at this critical moment. Cutting of funding will only hurt the people of Gaza who desperately needs support”.
- Close up: journalist typing in laptop
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “We had a convoy just this morning trying to reach Nasser Hospital with patients, health care staff, everybody. They are needing food, but the very needy population already before basically took the supplies - as we can call it - this was a self-distribution of supplies, which only shows how dire the needs are.”
- Wide shot: press room with journalists and speakers at the podium
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “UNRWA has not stopped working, UNRWA continues to work. It's the pipeline of funding that is in danger while it’s irreplaceable in the humanitarian operation.”
- Close up, journalist typing
- Close up, journalist listening
- Close up, journalist reading
Similar Stories
3
1
Edited News | UNITED NATIONS , OCHA , UNHCR
Ukraine enters fifth year of war: Attacks and displacement deepen human suffering amid mounting recovery challenges
On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, UN officials took stock of the immense human and economic toll of the conflict while appealing to the world to “never get used to war.”
2
27
2
2
Edited News , Press Conferences , Images | General Assembly , UNITED NATIONS
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops on 24 February 2022 shattered the peaceful aspirations of an entire continent, but war must never be the new normal, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday.
1
48
1
1
Edited News | UNOG
A ceremony marking the completion of the construction of the Portail des Nations, a soon-to-open visitors centre for the UN in Geneva, was held today for diplomats from around the world who have gathered in the Swiss city for the opening session of the Human Rights Council.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his opening remarks to the 61str session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
1
10
1
1
Edited News | HRC , SG
In Geneva, delegates from more than 120 countries gathered on Monday to mark 20 years of the UN Human Rights Council and a shared commitment to international law, amid runaway global instability and conflict, amid runaway global instability and conflict.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office has published a report on the grave human rights abuses suffered by the hundreds of thousands of people trafficked into scam operations mostly in southeast Asia.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Marta Hurtado briefed journalists on a UN report detailing child trafficking by gangs and how it is putting Haiti’s future at risk.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , IFRC , UN WOMEN
Ukraine’s women at breaking point after four years of war as attacks on energy, healthcare continue – UN humanitarians
Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, millions in Ukraine struggle to keep the lights on and heat their homes, with the crisis taking a particular toll on women, humanitarians warned on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
“Migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers in Libya are subjected to ruthless and systematic human rights violations and abuses, which include killings, torture, sexual violence and trafficking,” the UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told the bi-weekly press conference in Geneva today.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , IOM
Four years of war in Ukraine: Childhood has ‘moved underground’, displacement continues – UN humanitarians
Civilian suffering shows no sign of letting up in Ukraine as the four-year-mark of Russia’s full-scale invasion nears amid attacks on energy infrastructure, blackouts and freezing temperatures, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office on Friday voiced concerns about the severe impacts on human rights of the socio-economic crisis in Cuba.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
Madagascar: ‘Overwhelming’ destruction, surging needs after back-to-back cyclones – WFP
Some 10 days after tropical cyclone Fytia brought heavy rains and flooding to Madagascar, cyclone Gezani has left the island’s main port in ruins, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday.