Unesco will provide a first batch of 125 helmets and bulletproof vests with the "
press
" logo so that the "
maximum possible number of journalists operating in Ukraine have this vital equipment
", the UN organization announced on Thursday as part of measures to urgency to protect journalists covering this conflict.
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Since the start of the war in Ukraine, five journalists - three Ukrainians, a Franco-Irish, an American - have been killed.
"
Every day, journalists and all media professionals risk their lives in Ukraine to inform the local population and the whole world of the reality of this war
", underlines Audrey Azoulay, Director General of Unesco, in a press release. .
“
Thousands of journalists work in the field in Ukraine, often without the necessary protective equipment or training.
This is particularly the case of Ukrainian journalists once dedicated to local subjects and who find themselves propelled as war correspondents without always being prepared for the risks they run.
», Notes the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Unesco announces that it will “
provide a first batch of 125 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, consisting of bullet-proof vests with the “press” logo and helmets
”.
“
Previous experiences of journalism in a war zone have proven that having quality PPE can save lives.
This is why Unesco will work with its partners to ensure that as many journalists working in Ukraine as possible have this vital equipment
,” explains Audrey Azoulay.
They will be distributed to journalists through Reporters Without Borders (RSF), via their center for press freedom in Lviv, and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), starting “
from next week
”.
Another measure taken by Unesco: training to operate in a war zone.
"
Unesco is translating into Ukrainian and making available in several other languages its training manuals for journalists in 'hostile environments', developed jointly with RSF
,” the statement said.
The organization will also organize “
practical online training
”, dedicated to hostile environments and psychological trauma, in partnership with the IFJ and RSF.
Unesco will also co-finance the hotline set up by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, funding which will allow “
professionals to be reached 24 hours a day by journalists in the field
”.
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Unesco is currently working with the IFJ "
to relocate the two federations of Ukrainian journalists to offices in Poland, near the border with Ukraine
" so that these "
federations can continue to provide practical support to all journalists in Ukraine and to those who have fled to neighboring countries
,” the statement also adds.
