Jordan - June 11, 2024

[WARNING: Video contains sensitive content]

Storyline:
The UN chief, leaders of regional states, and the top U.S. diplomat gathered Tuesday in Jordan, stressing the need to accelerate humanitarian aid delivery to the conflict-ridden Gaza Strip.

As the World Food Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization warn that famine-level starvation could affect one million Palestinians in Gaza by mid-July, officials at the meeting appealed for intensified efforts to secure aid.

The conference titled "Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza" was co-organized by Jordan, Egypt, and the United Nations (UN), aiming to develop a collective response to the dire humanitarian situation in the enclave.

In his remarks at the conference, King Abdullah II of Jordan said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza far exceeds that of any other conflict in more than two decades. He called on the international community to take concrete action to provide adequate assistance to the enclave.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi welcomed the UN Security Council's adoption on Monday of Resolution 2735, which supports a comprehensive ceasefire agreement and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Israel and Hamas, as well as the entry of sufficient and sustainable humanitarian aid into Gaza.

He called on countries to compel Israel to stop "using hunger as a weapon" in Gaza and to remove obstacles to delivering humanitarian aid to people there.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who also attended the conference, urged support for humanitarian aid programs presented by the Palestinian Authority and other countries to assist the afflicted Palestinian people.

He also urged the Security Council and the international community to pressure Israel to open all land crossings into Gaza and hand them over to the Palestinian government.

Also at the conference, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Speaking at the conference, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a new aid package worth more than 400 million U.S. dollars for the Palestinians.

Tuesday's meeting sends a signal to the world that immediate action is needed to aid Gaza residents, according to Hassan Al Dajah, professor of political science at the Al-Hussein Bin Talal University in Jordan.

Humanitarian assistance reaching the 2.4 million war-stricken Palestinians in Gaza remains a challenging task. As a last resort, Jordan's air force was the first to take to the sky on a difficult mission where pallets of wrapped cardboard boxes were released to Gaza from thousands of feet above the ground.

According to the Jordanian government, there have been 360 airdrops so far, some in coordination with countries like Egypt, the UAE and several EU nations. The aid has been delivered to central and northern parts of Gaza, where the need is greatest.

Shotlist:
Jordan - June 11, 2024:
1. Various of conference titled "Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza" in progress;
2. SOUNDBITE (English) King Abdullah II of Jordan (partially overlaid with shot 3):
"The international humanitarian response in Gaza has been severely lacking, with the delivery of aid facing obstacles at every level. Humanitarian access cannot wait for a ceasefire and cannot be subject to the political agendas of any party. The people of Gaza are not looking to us for platitudes and speeches. They want action and they need that now."
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE];
3. Conference in progress
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]
4. Various of conference in progress; attendees;
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General (starting with shot 4):
"I call on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. This includes facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid both into and inside Gaza, as they have committed.";
6. Conference in progress;
Jordan - June 11, 2024
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hassan Al Dajah, professor of political science, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University (partially overlaid with shot 8):
"The conference rings alarm bells that there is hunger and famine developing in Gaza. According to the World Food Program, 20 percent of the population suffers from extreme food shortages, 30 percent of children suffer from emaciation due to malnutrition, and there is a 2 percent mortality rate for every 10,000 people."
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE];
Jordan - June 11, 2024
8. Conference in progress
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE];
Gaza Strip - June 8, 2024
9. Various of residents searching in ruins after Israeli airstrike on Nuseirat refugee camp;
Jordan - June 11, 2024
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Nevin Abdel Hady, editor in chief, Ad-Dustour newspaper (starting with shot 9/partially overlaid with shot 11):
"I was on one of these flights and they are very dangerous, being in a war zone. I had mixed feelings of sorrow and satisfaction. I was proud of what the Jordanian Royal Air Force was achieving, but when I looked down from the plane, I saw the tragic scenes in Gaza. The devastation is much more outrageous than what you see on screen."
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE];
Rafah, Gaza Strip - May 22, 2024
11. Various of tents
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]
Gaza Strip - June 6, 2024
12. Various of damaged buildings, refugees.

[Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]