00:00 Let's talk a bit more then about the situation for civilians in Gaza. I'm very pleased to be
00:04 joined now by Ahmed Bayram. He's a media advisor for the NGO, the Norwegian Refugee Council. He's
00:11 based in the Jordanian capital Amman. He joins us from there. Good afternoon to you. Thanks for
00:16 joining us. Good afternoon. Thanks for having me. Can I get your reaction first of all to this news
00:24 we have today from the World Health Organization that there are now no hospitals functioning
00:29 in the north of Gaza? Yeah, horrific. I have to say this has been long coming,
00:38 75 days of ceaseless attacks. You have reported on attacks as far as the Rafah crossing,
00:46 which is supposed to be safe. Imagine the unsafe areas. Medical teams are working around the clock,
00:53 of course, to save any lives they can. Those they can't attend to will have to somehow survive.
01:01 We haven't even talked about kids and children who are now catching disease. They don't know
01:07 what that disease is. Winter is at their doorstep. There's skin infections, skin diseases, waterborne
01:16 diseases, children drinking contaminated water, polluted water, unsafe water, children living
01:25 with missing limbs. It's a catastrophe, not just health-wise, but also what is going to come the
01:31 day after. And we can't wait for that day after. But that day after, after all this stops,
01:38 we are going to look at a tragedy of proportions that we haven't seen in a long, long time.
01:46 I know the NRC, your organisation, has some staff in Gaza. I wonder to what extent you're
01:54 able to speak with them and if you know how they're coping right now.
01:58 We do speak from time to time when communication allows. It's been seven days, I think now,
02:06 since communications have been cut, constantly cut. I managed to get a word in
02:14 from my colleagues. All we want to hear is if they are still alive. The rest we almost know.
02:20 We know that they have seen more bombings. They have seen more displacements. My colleagues have
02:27 been displaced. Aid workers have been displaced. Aid workers have been killed in these attacks.
02:33 We know that they are not feeding their children like they want to. We know that there's not enough
02:40 aid for people. This is the story of the 75 days that have passed. And the world has not come
02:50 together until now to push all sides to agree to a ceasefire. And that, I think, is a stain on our
02:59 collective humanity. And that has to stop. The death, the destruction has to stop.
03:05 Well, speaking of diplomatic efforts, the UN Security Council is meeting again today
03:11 to discuss a possible truce and the bringing in of aid to Gaza. I wonder what the NRC's message
03:18 is then to international leaders and those diplomats who are talking today.
03:22 Our message is, don't go to sleep one more night before you stop this.
03:31 Twenty thousand people have been killed. Thousands more have been injured. Release the hostages.
03:37 Work towards that. Lift the siege on Gaza. Let food in. Not a few bottles of water. Let water in.
03:44 Reconnect the water. Reconnect the electricity. Work towards that. Is there a parent in the world
03:50 who can imagine their children having to go 75 days like this? I don't think so. And I think now,
03:58 today, tonight, the vote is again going to test the humanity of these big states and big powers.
04:05 And we have been clear in our message that nothing short of a lasting, sustainable ceasefire,
04:11 that guarantees the return of the hostages, that guarantees the lifting of the siege,
04:16 and that guarantees allowing aid teams in. Nothing short of that is going to cut it.
04:23 Nothing short of that is going to be good enough. Agree to a ceasefire tonight,
04:27 and step up to the plate and hold that responsibility, collective responsibility,
04:33 and save lives in Gaza. Ahmed Biram from the NGO,
04:38 the Norwegian Refugee Council. Thank you very much indeed. Thanks.
