Please note that the materials I create have a pedagogical, not political, purpose, and that the texts or speeches I use do not necessarily reflect my actual views.
Warm-up
I’ve created an easy crossword for you to help activate relevant vocabulary.
Brainstorming
Spend a couple of minutes writing every relevant term you can think of on a piece of paper.
Here are some of the terms that occurred to me.
vulnerability
trauma
safe haven
resilience
refugee
reconstruction
NGOs
shelter
raise money
deliver aid
rebuild communities
camp
displacement
human dignity
humanitarian corridor
access
disaster management
aid agencies
human rights
international cooperation
support
aid
Now see if you can tackle the gap filling exercise. The aim is to find words or phrases that are grammatically correct and plausible, even if they are not exactly what was written in the original.
Gap filling exercise
The text of today’s gap filling exercise is an abridged version of a speech by Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, at the International Humanitarian Conference for the Civilian Population in Gaza (Paris, 9 November 2023).
I want to ___________ my sincere thanks to President Macron for ___________ this conference today on the______________humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The attendance under his leadership of such a broad range of Member States reflects the ____________ of the situation.
The devastating and growing civilian ___________ of this conflict is as distressing as it is unconscionable.
Over the past few weeks, I have engaged with various leaders, partners, and interlocutors to _____________humanitarian efforts and ____________ access. I have been to Egypt, Israel, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. I have met with the families of some of the Israeli hostages and spoken to families in Gaza.
The situation is _____________. To allow it to continue would be a _______________.
Allow me here to share some thoughts on what needs to happen urgently to avoid that ______________.
First: We must have complete respect – by all parties – for international humanitarian law and basic human _____________. This means that civilians must be protected, and their essential needs met, wherever they are in Gaza.
On behalf of the humanitarian community that I represent, I can tell you that we have serious concerns: Concerns about the safety of civilians in any so-called safe zones if there is no agreement between all the parties on their establishment.
Concerns that satisfactory conditions do not exist anywhere in Gaza to ensure ____________ shelter, food, water, sanitation and health.
And concerns regarding the protection of civilians anywhere in Gaza.
Second: We must be allowed to get __________supplies and humanitarian _____________ – including fuel – into Gaza safely, without ______________, reliably and at scale.
The modest number of trucks we have so far managed to get in via the Rafah border crossing is wholly inadequate compared to the vast ________________. I want to thank the Government of Egypt for ___________access via Rafah and for ____________to host the UN technical humanitarian team in Al Arish. But we are clear that we need more than one ___________ into Gaza. We need to get hundreds of trucks per day into Gaza, not dozens, and be allowed to reach every place people are ______________.
Third: We need a humanitarian ceasefire.
In plain terms, this is a ______________fighting for humanitarian purposes to provide some ______________ from the onslaught, to ______________the delivery of humanitarian aid, and to ______________the release of hostages.
Excellencies, colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I want to extend my sincere thanks to President Macron for convening this conference today on the intolerable humanitarian situation in Gaza.
[You could replace intolerablewith many other adjectives, e.g. unacceptable, appalling, horrifying, calamitous, disastrous.]
The attendance under his leadership of such a broad range of Member States reflects the severity of the situation.
[Instead of severity, you could say the gravity of the situation. In less formal settings, you could use other words, such as awfulness].
The devastating and growing civilian toll of this conflict is as distressing as it is unconscionable.
Over the past few weeks, I have engaged with various leaders, partners, and interlocutors to support humanitarian efforts and negotiate access. I have been to Egypt, Israel, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. I have met with the families of some of the Israeli hostages and spoken to families in Gaza.
The situation is insupportable. To allow it to continue would be a travesty.
[There are many alternatives to insupportable, e.g. intolerable. Other words would make sense instead of a travesty, but they have a different meaning. You could use a tragedy, for instance, or a disaster.]
Allow me here to share some thoughts on what needs to happen urgently to avoid that travesty.
[Different meaning, but you could say ‘to avoid that outcome‘.]
First: We must have complete respect – by all parties – for international humanitarian law and basic human dignity. This means that civilians must be protected, and their essential needs met, wherever they are in Gaza.
[Basic human rights would fit here.]
On behalf of the humanitarian community that I represent, I can tell you that we have serious concerns: Concerns about the safety of civilians in any so-called safe zones if there is no agreement between all the parties on their establishment.
Concerns that satisfactory conditions do not exist anywhere in Gaza to ensure adequate shelter, food, water, sanitation and health.
And concerns regarding the protection of civilians anywhere in Gaza.
Second: We must be allowed to get essential supplies and humanitarian relief – including fuel – into Gaza safely, without impediment, reliably and at scale.
[ You could say basic supplies instead of essential, and replace humanitarian relief with aid. Without impediment = without obstacles.]
The modest number of trucks we have so far managed to get in via the Rafah border crossing is wholly inadequate compared to the vast sea of needs. I want to thank the Government of Egypt for facilitating access via Rafah and for consenting to host the UN technical humanitarian team in Al Arish. But we are clear that we need more than one entry point into Gaza. We need to get hundreds of trucks per day into Gaza, not dozens, and be allowed to reach every place people are sheltering.
[You could substitute facilitating access with ensuring (which is stronger), and consenting to host with agreeing to host.]
Third: We need a humanitarian ceasefire.
In plain terms, this is a cessation of fighting for humanitarian purposes to provide some respite from the onslaught, to expedite the delivery of humanitarian aid, and to facilitate the release of hostages.
[Respite = relief; to expedite the delivery = to speed up, but you could also use ‘to facilitate’.]
