UN HQ - "For Sama Brings the Reality of War to Our Doorstep"
Ambassador, Karen Pierce, was present at the event. "The Syrian people deserve the international community's thanks for struggling on when all the global institutions set up since 1945 have proved themselves unable to help the people on the ground," she said after the screening, as she led the UN audience in applause for Waad, Edward and Hamza.
UK Ambassador to the UN, Karen Pierce, speaks to the audience of diplomats.
During a post-screening discussion, Dr Hamza al-Kateab opened up to the audience about the dangers of staying within the walls of the hospital in Aleppo, “We were dying to stay in our city. They tried to kill the resilience of the people. Patients began to learn the hospital was the most dangerous place to be in the city.”
Susannah Sirkin, Director of Policy at Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) - a partner of Action For Sama - attended the event with Waad, Edward and Hamza. During the discussion, Susannah presented the PHR map of attacks on healthcare in Syria and discussed the ongoing human rights work PHR are doing. Just a few days after the screening, Susannah mentioned For Sama in a UN briefing on the situation in the Middle East saying, “The widespread and systematic destruction of health facilities and the killing of hundreds of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and paramedics by Syria and its Russian allies has the apparent aim to ‘break people’s spirits,’ as one Syrian doctor put it in the powerful new documentary, For Sama.”
Hamza al-Kateab, Susannah Sirkin (Physicians for Human Rights), Waad al-Kateab
Summarising the afternoon’s event, a representative from the UK at the UN said, “This week's images from Idlib and the screening of For Sama at the UN strengthen our resolve to keep shining a light on the appalling violations of international humanitarian law in Syria and do all we can to end the nine year conflict. We are indebted to Waad al-Kateab & the team behind For Sama for their courage in documenting this story & bringing it to the world,”
Anyone that has seen For Sama will know that the footage shared shows the brutal realities of what is happening inside Syria. The scenes captured in the documentary do not only tell a story, but provide clear evidence of the destruction being caused by Assad’s regime and Russian airstrikes. This opportunity to present For Sama to the UN is just one of many meetings planned to engage our governments, leaders and allies to use For Sama as a tool for good, and to end the targeting of healthcare facilities in Syria.
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Action for Sama is in an independent campaign by the filmmakers of For Sama, which aims to end the targeting of healthcare facilities in Syria. To find out more and learn how you can take action, visit actionforsama.com.
Watch For Sama on Channel 4 (UK) and PBS Frontline (US)