- Title: EU ambassador surveys humanitarian challenge facing Mosul
- Date: 19th July 2017
- Summary: MOSUL, IRAQ (JULY 18, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SCHOOL GIRLS WAVING IRAQI FLAGS TO GREET U.N. OFFICIALS EU AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ, PATRICK SIMONNET, STANDING AMONG CHEERING PUPILS WAVING IRAQI FLAGS SCHOOL STUDENTS WAVING IRAQI FLAGS SIMONNET SPEAKING TO HEAD TEACHER SIMONNET ADDRESSING CLASSROOM VARIOUS OF SCHOOL GIRLS SITTING IN CLASSROOM LISTENING TO SIMONNET (SOUNDBITE) (English) EU AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ, PATRICK SIMONNET, SAYING: "I think the Mosul victory is definitely the beginning of a new era in Iraq. We hope, for the good. We hope that this new era will be an era of reconciliation and reconstruction. But still I think what this particular visit shows is also the importance to stay engaged on humanitarian assistance." SIMONNET TALKING TO OFFICIALS SIMONNET WALKING DOWN STAIRS PEOPLE LINING UP WITH CONTAINERS TO GET FUEL (SOUNDBITE) (English) EU AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ, PATRICK SIMONNET, SAYING: "In a way we commend very much the efforts of the prime minister to put protection of civilians and respect of humanitarian law as a priority for the last operations. But we need to keep discussions with the government. We need to ask for investigations when we hear about allegations." EXTERIOR OF MOSUL MAIN HOSPITAL / SIMONNET AND U.N. OFFICIALS ARRIVING AT HOSPITAL PEOPLE WALKING PAST BLACKENED ENTRANCE OF HOSPITAL MEMBERS OF EU MISSION PINNING EU FLAG TO WALL OF HOSPITAL SIGN READING (Arabic) "CHILDREN'S EMERGENCY WARD" / SIMONNET WALKING INTO WARD FOLLOWED BY EU DELEGATION NEWLY-BORN BABY LYING ON TABLE / NURSE LIFTING CRYING BABY (SOUNDBITE) (English) EU AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ, PATRICK SIMONNET, SAYING: "Stabilisation means reconnecting water and services, re-establishing basic services in hospitals and health centres. So all that is we feel something that will need to be engaged still for the next two, three years." HOSPITAL ENTRANCE / SIGN IN MIDDLE READING (Arabic) "CHILDREN WARDS" SIMONNET AND DELEGATION WALKING INTO HOSPITAL WARD SIMONNET LISTENING TO BRIEFING FROM HOSPITAL PHYSICIAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) EU AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ, PATRICK SIMONNET, SAYING: "There's a cost of not - an important cost in our view - of not doing anything. And we know that we are dealing with many different emergencies. But what we have always said as the EU in Iraq is that we are working in a country with a democratically elected government with a programme, and again, as I was saying, we need to be active in pushing for political reform and reconciliation." SIMONNET AND EU DELEGATION WALKING THROUGH HOSPITAL
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2017 14:01
- Keywords: Mosul Islamic State ISIL EU ambassador to Iraq Patrick Simonnet civilians rebuilding Mosul European Union EU
- Location: MOSUL, IRAQ
- City: MOSUL, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA0016QDVVWN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The EU's Ambassador to Iraq, Patrick Simonnet, visited parts of Western Mosul on Tuesday (July 18), including a school and hospital, to get a first-hand view of the humanitarian crisis confronting its citizens.
More than 1 million people fled their homes in Mosul and nearby villages when fighting started, with most of them packed into camps in the countryside or living elsewhere.
Those who ventured back to Mosul found wrecked houses, destroyed schools and hospitals and water and power shortages, alongside the threat of gunfire and booby-traps.
The World Food Programme said thousands of families needed emergency food assistance to survive. The government and the international community must begin rebuilding Mosul and restore basic services immediately as tens of thousands of people were likely to return soon, aid organisations said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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