NATIONS, LINDA
THOMAS-GREENFIELD.
ANDREA GOT AN EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW EARLIER TODAY AND
FILED THIS REPORT.
>> THIS IS POINT ZERO.
THIS IS TURKEY.
THAT IS SYRIA.
HERE TURKEY IS WORKING WITH THE
U.N. AND U.S. TO TRY TO KEEP
THIS CROSSING OPEN.
RUSSIA IS TRYING TO CLOSE IT.
SHE IS TALKING TO REFUGEES AND
NONGOVERNMENTAL WORKERS.
SHE IS GETTING BRIEFED BY THE
U.N.
BUT THIS IS THE IMPORTANT
CRITICAL MESSAGE SHE IS TRYING
TO BRING BACK TO THE SECURITY
COUNCIL OF UNITED NATIONS.
THAT REFUGEES DOWN THAT ROAD
WILL BE DYING FROM STARVATION,
FROM VIOLENCE, FROM HUNGER AND
LACK OF SHELTER.
NOW, MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE,
COVID.
THAT IS WHAT NEEDS TO GET
THROUGH.
FOOD.
CEMENT FOR SHELTER.
VACCINES, THE LITTLE THAT HAVE
COME SO FAR.
NOW SHE HAS ANNOUNCED $239
MILLION DOLLARS OF U.S. AID THAT
WILL GET TO THESE PEOPLE, BUT
NOT IF RUSSIA DECIDES NEXT MONTH
THIS LAST CORRIDOR INTO THE
REFUGEE CAMPS, AND STILL IN THE
CONFLICT ZONE, DISPLACED BY
BOMBINGS FROM THE ASSAD REGIME.
THE AMBASSADOR TOLD ME THIS IS
THEIR ONLY HOPE FOR SURVIVAL.
>> WHAT IS YOUR REACTION, SEEING
THIS, HAVING GONE INSIDE AND
TALKED TO THE AIDE WORKERS.
WE CANT REVEAL PICTURES BECAUSE
ITS SO DANGEROUS.
>> I HAVE TWO REACTIONS.
I AM SO THANKFUL WE HAVE THESE
PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING HERE.
WHAT I SAID TO THEM WAS WE CAN
BRING MONEY, BUT MONEY DOESNT
MATTER IF YOU DONT HAVE PEOPLE
WHO ARE COMMITTED, PASSIONATE,
WHO UNDERSTAND THE WORK.
I AM SO THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE
THEM.
BUT IM ALSO FEELING A SENSE OF
DESPERATION BECAUSE THEY FEEL A
SENSE OF DESPERATION WITH THE
CONCERN THAT THERE IS A CHANCE
THIS ONE BORDER CROSSING THAT WE
HAVE BEEN SEEING TODAY, BUT THIS
CROSSING COULD BE CLOSED.
I HAD BEEN REALLY SPURRED TO
WORK AS HARD AS I CAN TO DO
EVERYTHING I CAN TO KEEP THIS
BORDER OPEN, BUT ALSO TO OPEN
THE TWO BORDERS THAT WERE
CLOSED.
WHAT THEY DO SAVES LIVES.
AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO HELP
THEM DO THAT.
>> YOUVE SAID THIS IN NEW YORK
AT THE SECURITY COUNCIL,
SECRETARY BLINKEN ADDRESSED IT
IN MARCH.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT SEEING THESE
PEOPLE WITH YOUR OWN EYES.
>> YOU SEE THE REALITY OF WHAT
THEY ARE DOING AND HOW
COMPLICATED WHAT THEY ARE DOING
IS.
SEEING JUST THE TRANSFER OF FOOD
FROM ONE TRUCK TO ANOTHER.
SEEING HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE
REQUIRED TO DO THIS WORK.
ITS LIFE AND DEATH.
>> ON TOP OF WAR WHICH CONTINUES
AS WE SPEAK.
THERE IS COVID.
HOW DOES THAT ADD TO THE
DIMENSION OF THIS CRISIS?
>> IT MAKES DELIVERING OF
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE MORE
COMPLICATED.
BUT FOR THE REFUGEES, HERE IS
WHAT I HEARD TODAY.
ITS JUST ANOTHER REASON TO DIE.
>> ANOTHER REASON TO DIE?
>> ANOTHER REASON TO DIE.
ITS JUST ADDED ON TOP OF
STARVATION, VIOLENCE,
DESPERATION, ANOTHER REASON TO
DIE.
AND WE DONT WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE
ANOTHER REASON TO DIE.
>> WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE WHEN YOU
GO BACK TO RUSSIA ABOUT THEIR
STATED OPPOSITION TO KEEPING
THIS LAST CROSSING OPEN?
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK I HAVE A
VERY POSITIVE MESSAGE FOR MY
RUSSIAN COUNTERPART.
I HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE
IMPORTANCE OF THIS BORDER
CROSSING.
AND THE NEEDS THAT ARE BEING
ADDRESSED IN THIS BORDER
CROSSING.
YOU DONT WANT ON YOUR SHOULDERS
THE DESPERATION OF THE PEOPLE ON
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BORDER.
I CAN DESCRIBE TO HIM WHAT THAT
DESPERATION LOOKS LIKE.
>> AND THIS IS IS THE ONLY WAY
THAT COVID VACCINES WILL GET
INTO THESE PEOPLE?
>> RIGHT NOW THIS IS THE ONLY
WACO INDIVIDUAL VACCINES CAN GET
ACROSS THE BORDER.
WE KNOW THERE ARE AREAS IN SYRIA
WHERE COVID VACCINES HAVE NOT
BEEN DISTRIBUTED, IN THE
NORTHEAST FOR EXAMPLE.
>> TO WHEN THE RUSSIANS SAY GIVE
IT TO DAMASCUS, THE REGIME WILL
DISTRIB BOUT
DISTRIBUTE IT TO THESE PEOPLE
HERE.
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME AID
WILL BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH
DAMASCUS, BUT WE ARE PROVIDING
ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT
GET THAT ASSISTANCE.
THOSE ACROSS LINE MECHANISMS ARE
NOT WORKING.
IF WE ARE PROVIDING HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE -- I ANNOUNCED $239
ASSISTANCE -- I ANNOUNCED $239
MILLION, ALMOST A QUARTER OF A
MILLION DOLLARS, IF WE ARE
GIVING THAT, WE WANT TO BE SURE
IT GETS TO WHERE ITS DIRECTED.
>> WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE
HERE IN THE NORTHWEST REGION WHO
ASSAD VIEWED AS HIS OPPONENTS
AND BOMBED.
THATS WHY THEY ARE DISPLACED
AND LIVING IN TENTS.
>> EXACTLY.
>> THIS IS AN ISSUE, WE HAVE
BEEN TOLD, THAT THE PRESIDENT
WILL RAISE WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN
AT THE SUMMIT.
>> I DONT HAVE THE AGENDA FOR
THE PRESIDENTS MEETING.
>> BUT IF HE DOES.
>> I KNOW THE PRESIDENT IS
STRONGLY COMMITTED TO SEEING
THIS OPERATION CONTINUE.
SECRETARY BLINKEN IS COMMITTED.
IM COMMITTED.
SO EVERYTHING -- WE WILL DO
EVERYTHING FROM THE HIGHEST
LEVELS DOWN TO MY LEVEL TO
CONTINUE THIS.
I CANT PREVIEW WHAT IS ON THE
AGENDA, BUT I KNOW IN TERMS OF
OUR OWN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE
RUSSIANS, THIS IS ON THE AGENDA.
>> YOU SERVED IN RWANDA DURING
GENOCIDE.
YOU HAVE BEEN IN PAKISTAN.
ALL OVER AFRICA.
IN AFGHANISTAN UNDER TALIBAN
RULE.
WHAT YOU ARE SEEING HERE, WHAT
YOU ARE HEARING, HOW DOES THAT
COMPARE TO ALL OF THE DISASTER
ZONES YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED
YOURSELF?
>> I THINK THE SCALE HERE IS
MORE THAN ANYTHING I HAVE EVER
EXPERIENCED BEFORE.
BUT THE DESPERATION IS THE SAME
DESPERATION.
THE NEEDS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME.
THE EMOTIONS ARE THE SAME.
I AM STILL REMINDED OF MY VERY
FIRST VISIT TO A REFUGEE CAMP
WHEN I SAW A BABY DIE IN FRONT
OF MY EYES FROM STARVATION.
THAT FEELING NEVER GOES AWAY.
THE EMOTIONS NEVER GO AWAY.
AND I FEEL THOSE EMOTIONS TODAY.
AND TO THE PEOPLE BACK IN THE
U.S.
-- AND TO THE PEOPLE BACK IN
THE U.S. CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR
OWN JOBS, ABOUT THE PANDEMIC,
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM AND
ABOUT LEADING A ROLE?
>> THE PRESIDENT STARTED WITH
MAKING SURE EVERY AMERICAN WAS
VACCINATED.
BUT HE ALSO UNDERSTOOD IF WE ARE
TO BE SAFE FROM COVID AND WE ARE