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Isa Soares Tonight

More Nations Join the U.S. in an Effort to Get More Aid into Gaza; Israeli Protesters Block Aid Deliveries to Gaza; Govt. Extends State of Emergency, Curfew in Port-Au-Prince; Children In Haiti Describe Harrowing Stories Of Survival. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired March 08, 2024 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[14:00:00]

ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, more nations are joining the U.S. in an

effort to get more aid into Gaza by sea. This on a day where one aid air- dropped resulted in yet more deaths. Also ahead --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anyone checked these trucks and see what's inside with bags of rice that are meant to go to their children are filled with

bullets.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: A close-up with some Israeli protesters who are trying to stop aid from getting into Gaza. Our Clarissa Ward joins us with a troubling report

in just a moment. And on this International Women's Day, we meet one scholar who is changing our access to women of the past.

Those with the incredible stories that were not being told. That's ahead this hour. But first tonight, we begin with a major international effort to

get lifesaving humanitarian aid into Gaza by sea. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says a new maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza could

open this weekend.

She visited the Port of Larnaca today, highlighting the effort involving the U.S., the UAE, Britain, Germany, as well as many more. Cyprus is the

closest EU member to Gaza as you can see there on that map, it says it bears a moral duty to help ease the humanitarian crisis.

The U.S. military will facilitate deliveries by building a temporary port on the Gaza coast. President Joe Biden announced the move on Thursday

night, saying it will allow a massive increase in aid reaching Gaza. But there are still many questions about how exactly that aid will be

distributed when it gets on land, even though, the U.S. backs Israel's war on Hamas with money and weapons, it has been unable to convince Israel to

let more aid reach those in need as starvation reaches crisis levels.

Well, the U.S. and other countries have also been airdropping aid, but that's just a tiny fraction really of what is needed, and we've heard that

from NGOs on the show. A tragic accident today also shows the risks of that operation. Five people in Gaza were killed by falling aid packages after a

parachute malfunction.

Let's get more on all these angles from our Nada Bashir, she's in Larnaca in Cyprus for us. And Nada, we are getting more details about this -- the C

corridor as we just outlined. But while it does look good on paper, do we know just how quickly this is going to happen and the timeframe here,

because as you've been reporting for us, the people are desperate.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely. Now, still, Isa, a lot of unknowns when it comes to how this maritime corridor would actually pan out in

practical terms. And we did hear from Ursula von der Leyen earlier today, say that she hopes that these efforts to get aid to Gaza by sea could begin

this weekend on Saturday or Sunday.

We've been speaking to volunteers and aid workers on the ground who have said, there are still a lot of questions around the security concerns,

around what this will look like once they get to the Gaza coastal border, and of course, questions around how that aid will actually be transferred

to Gaza, and of course, distributed there.

We know at this stage, the United Nations isn't directly involved, though. U.N. officials have said they could potentially play a role in the coming

weeks, and of course, we have heard from a U.S. official saying that, that port, which is to be developed and established by the U.S. military on

Gaza's coast could take weeks to prepare.

So, of course, a lot of questions around the timeframe here. What is clear is that this will provide a huge uptick in the amount of aid actually

getting into Gaza. As we know, there have been huge obstacles in getting aid across the land borders.

We heard from the U.N. earlier this week, saying some 40 percent of their aid missions coordinated by the U.N., trying to get trucks across the

border were either obstructed or denied by Israel last month. And as you mentioned, Isa, what we're seeing now is just a drop in the ocean in

comparison to what is actually needed, some half a million people in Gaza according to the U.N.'s World Food Program now facing the risk of

starvation.

[14:05:00]

SOARES: Nada Bashir there for us in Cyprus. Thanks very much, Nada. I want to go to our Clarissa Ward, who is in Jerusalem for us tonight. And

Clarissa, one of the main NGOs on the grounds that we have been speaking to, Doctors Without Borders said today that the sea corridor that has been

announced, I want to quote them here, is a glaring distraction, saying that U.S. should insist on humanitarian access using roads and entering points.

What has been the reaction from Israel to the sea corridor, and just speak to the challenges in what relates to aid in what you've seen on the ground

there?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think, Isa, officially, Israel has said that they welcome the U.S.' support in this sea

corridor and trying to provide more aid that way. But privately, there has been a lot of pressure on Israel from the U.S. to open up another land

corridor and to open it up in the north because as you know, even the aid that gets through Rafah gets through Kerem Shalom and gets in to southern

Gaza.

It is very difficult for that aid to get all the way up the Gaza Strip to the areas where people need it most. What's fascinating to see though is

despite the official sort of welcoming of this U.S. move. Unofficially, people here do not for the most part support aid being funneled into Gaza

to reach people who need it most, there is a strongly-held belief here that all the aid is being taken by Hamas.

And for weeks now, we've seen these protests taking place at Kerem Shalom, the border crossing where people have been trying to block those aid trucks

from going in, while government authorities essentially turned a blind eye, we went yesterday with a group of protesters back to Kerem Shalom, we found

that the authorities are now cracking down.

They're not letting these protesters through, but that is doing nothing to stop them. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WARD (voice-over): They marched with determination to the Kerem Shalom border as they have first six weeks. Their mission to block international

aid from crossing into Gaza. The border police are waiting for them. "There's a dangerous sniper fire and projectile", the officer warns, "I ask

you to leave this place."

But the protesters are undeterred, made up mostly of hostage family members, former reservists and settlers. They ignore the order and change

course to move closer to the crossing.

(on camera): So, you can see the trucks with aid over there. The police had been trying to stop the protesters, but then they've just cut through this

field and they're pushing ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How can anyone check these trucks and see what's inside with bags of rice that are meant to go to their children are filled

with bullets.

WARD: Under international law, it's Israel's obligation to make sure that the ordinary citizens of Gaza don't starve to death. And right now, they

are starving to death.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hamas is making it very difficult because Hamas is not allowing this to arrive -- they're not holding it, they're not --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is -- receiving it. But they're doing it, I'm telling you here and now, we knew it's getting to children of Gaza, we

would do it. This does not arrive at their doorstep. This arrives into the channels of Hamas that are fighting us and holding our hostages. No one was

--

WARD: There's no evidence to support the idea that all of this aid is going to Hamas.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not to the rest of the population. This is intelligence only for terror. That's why they're getting -- should get only

the minimum calories required to survive.

WARD: They're starving to death --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because there are no--

WARD: They are starving to death.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know what? If they are starving to death, give us back -- give the hostages back. Not a single loaf of bread should go there

until our hostages are coming back.

WARD: To many people in the world, listening to what you're saying and what you're protesting for, it sounds like A, a contravention of international

law, and B, incredibly callous in the face of an epic humanitarian catastrophe.

(CROSSTALK)

In the face of children starving to death. People can't understand why anyone in their right mind would advocate for stopping aid.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hamas has no fair play. Hamas has no rules. Hamas is holding civilians. You know, even if there is a humanitarian crisis and

there's not, even if there is, it's my right and my duty to prioritize the life of few babies. One-year-old babies that deserve over any Gazan baby.

WARD (voice-over): And with that, the interview is over as the protesters press on. Previously, they managed to block aid trucks from crossing. But

on this day, the police have been giving their orders and no one is getting through, prompting anger from the crowd.

[14:10:00]

"You are confused, go deal with the war"!, this woman shouts. "We came to help you"! Unable to cross here, the protesters tried their luck in another

area, but the authorities are just as quick to stop them.

(on camera): So, the police are now really starting to lose their patience. They've been trying to push these protesters away for hours now, and still

they're not leaving.

(voice-over): The crowd on this day is small, but their sentiment is shared by most people in the country. A recent poll by the Israel Democracy

Institute found that 68 percent of Jewish-Israelis oppose the transfer of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

On the other side of the border, the situation could not be more dire. Seven-year-old Faddi Alsad(ph) is suffering from severe dehydration and

malnutrition. Doctors at the Kamal Adwan Hospital say they don't have the resources to properly treat him.

Faddi's(ph) mother says she's already lost two children. She doesn't want to lose him. According to Gaza's health authorities, at least 17 children

have died of dehydration and malnutrition already. And with the U.N. warning that famine is just a step away, there is hardly room for debate.

More aid needs to get to more people as quickly as possible.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WARD: Now, Isa, I do think it's important to highlight for our viewers that there was another protest as well at the Kerem Shalom border crossing in a

different part of it to the area we were, and that protest was made up of Israelis who were trying to get a convoy of aid through to Gaza.

They weren't successful to that end. But there are people here who are against what has been happening, who believed that it is important to get

aid into people inside Gaza as quickly as possible. But as you heard in that poll, it's pretty sobering, more than --

SOARES: Yes --

WARD: Two-thirds of Jewish-Israelis do not believe that international aid should be transferred into Gaza. Isa.

SOARES: Powerful report there from our Clarissa Ward on the ground in Jerusalem. Thank you Clarissa. And still to come on the show tonight, high

drama and fireworks on Capitol Hill, U.S. President Joe Biden spars with his Republican critics during anything but typical State of the Union

address.

Plus, Haiti's government extends its state of emergency as conditions in the country become more dangerous. We'll have both those stories for you

after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:15:00]

SOARES: Well, U.S. President Joe Biden is back on the campaign trail just hours after giving a forceful, dramatic State of the Union address. Biden

touted his economic plan while making a case for four more years in the White House. He criticized former President Trump more than a dozen times

without ever mentioning his name and seemed to relish sparring with Republicans over immigration as well as tax cuts for corporations. He also

poked fun at questions about his age. Have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know I may not look like it, but I've been around a while. In my career, I've been told I was too young,

and I've been told I'm too old. The issue facing our nation isn't how old we are, is how old are our ideas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Let's welcome in CNN contributor Lulu Garcia-Navarro; a "New York Times" journalist and podcast host. Lulu, welcome to the show. It was

certainly a vigorous speech, I won't say fiery, because I know that you do not like it, but very different from previous State of the Union. What did

you make of it? And can last night's version of Joe Biden you think beat Donald Trump?

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, JOURNALIST, "NEW YORK TIMES": That is the question. I think --

SOARES: Yes --

GARCIA-NAVARRO: What everyone is feeling today is an inordinate amount of relief for those who are supporters of the president. The stakes were very

high indeed. There were so many polls showing Joe Biden underwater, historically unpopular with this kind of narrative, taking hold about him,

that he was essentially gaga. I mean, the bar was so low that even a sort of mediocre speech would have superseded it.

But what we actually saw was a very vigorous president, a president who was enjoying himself, and I think the stagecraft of this all was also very

clever. You know, he walked in, there were, you know, a huge applause. You saw Democrats shaking his hand. It looked like everyone wasn't just

greeting him, due to flee, but greeting him with a great deal of enthusiasm.

SOARES: And it was all -- it was pretty political too, he packaged all his domestic accomplishments, but spent a bit of time as well on foreign

policy, starting off, we understand with Ukraine. Some Republicans though, argue that the speech was somewhat polarizing, that it was simply for Biden

space. What do you say to that critique?

GARCIA-NAVARRO: I would say ha-ha. I mean, please, I mean --

(LAUGHTER)

GARCIA-NAVARRO: You had Marjorie Taylor Greene; the Republican MAGA representative, sort of dressed all in red with a hat, handing him a pen,

trying to goad him into making --

SOARES: Yes --

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Some kind of faux pas. You had hecklers on the Republican side the entire evening trying to sort of get the president goad. So, for

them to make that kind of criticism, I think is pretty ridiculous. The thing I'll say is this. I think this is what people who support the

president wanted.

This is what his base wanted. It's what Democrats have wanted. They wanted to see someone who is willing to fight for the ideals that they hold dear.

They wanted to see the president fight for his record. They wanted to see the president take the fight to Donald Trump.

And that is something that I think he was hearing over and over again from his many supporters, from his many surrogates. And this is the speech that

he gave. I don't think it was exclusively for the base. It was certainly there --

SOARES: Yes --

GARCIA-NAVARRO: To energize the base, but it was definitely there to sort of say, hey, I'm here, whatever you've heard about me is absolutely wrong.

Let me tell you about what my presidency has actually done.

SOARES: And you mentioned Trump. I mean, yes, he never actually mentioned Trump by name. He called him his predecessor for some 13 times. Also, did

he go though, Lulu, far enough in differentiating himself from Trump? And do you think he was able to change minds? And I'm thinking here of the

Nikki Haley voters, the never Trump Republicans who now have that choice.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: I don't know. This is going to be a very long campaign. I mean, it feels already like we have been in this campaign for a long time,

but there's still seven months to go. And you know, a lot can happen in that period. But listen, even if you look at the issue that the president

is weakest on, which is immigration.

He has taken a page out of the book of Tom Suozzi, for example, who wanted a special election in New York, won a seat that had been held by George

Santos; the Republican, he's a Democrat and what the lesson of that was for the Democrats is, let's not ignore this issue of immigration, let's try and

differentiate ourselves.

[14:20:00]

Let's try and actually address it. And that is what he did. Now, some Democrats this morning aren't very happy he used the word "illegals" to

describe --

SOARES: Yes --

GARCIA-NAVARRO: People who come across the border illegally. You know, most people don't use that word, not even in the media, because it's seen as

pejorative. People aren't illegal, their actions can be illegal. However, you know, he did embrace that discussion. He didn't run away from it. And I

think that's something that people have been wanting to see

SOARES: Look, let's talk about the eye-watering Republican rebuttal. I want to play -- I want to play for our viewers who may not have seen this shape

of events --

GARCIA-NAVARRO: A lot of times, exactly this morning.

SOARES: I know. Let's have a look at this. Have a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KATIE BRITT (R-AL): President Biden just doesn't get it. He's out of touch. Under his administration, families are worse off. Our communities

are less safe and our country is less secure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Lulu, I mean, talk to the optics, the contrast, and the message she delivered there.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yes, that is Senator Katie Britt of Alabama. She is not a household name by any stretch of the imagination. This was supposed to be

her big debut. She had been on a shortlist apparently of VP candidates for former President Trump.

I think it is safe to say that after that performance, she will no longer be on that list. She was basically a laughing stock this morning, not only

by Democrats or opponents, but also by Republicans. The optics -- listen, Republicans are weak right now with women, especially suburban --

SOARES: Yes --

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Women. And when you choose to take a powerful woman and you stick her in a kitchen --

SOARES: I know --

GARCIA-NAVARRO: I don't know what that was about. I truly -- I find it -- mystifying kitchen table issues. The idea of like economics being the

thing. It sent a very perturbing message that freaked out a lot of women that I heard from. And then you just had the overacting, the kind of

pathos, and her message was also pretty alienating.

So, it is a thankless task to give that speech after the State of the Union, many have fallen on their face there before, Democrats and

Republicans. But I have to say, this did the Republican message no favors.

SOARES: Lulu, great to see you. I appreciate you taking the time to speak to us. Lulu Garcia-Navarro there, thank you, Lulu. And we are keeping a

close eye on Istanbul today where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the war with

Russia has been on the agenda.

Mr. Zelenskyy says his country needs Turkey's help to free prisoners of war. And he says the two discussed navigation in the Black Sea. Mr.

Zelenskyy also tweeted about his visit to a Turkish shipyard where he says ships are built for Ukraine's Navy.

We are also tracking developments in Florida where Hungary's Viktor Orban is set to meet with former U.S. President Donald Trump. Hungary is a

landlocked country of about 10 million people. But its right-wing Prime Minister keeps punching above his weight in U.S. as well as global

politics.

He's endorsed Trump for president, and he frequently clashes with other EU and NATO leaders on support for Ukraine. Mr. Orban's also been friendly

with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and a Biden official says he wasn't formally invited to the White House.

New developments on Donald Trump's defamation judgment in the E. Jean Carroll case. The former U.S. president has posted bond of nearly $92

million, and we now know the insurance company Chubb guaranteed that bond which Trump signed on Tuesday.

His team has also filed a notice that they will appeal the more than $83 million judgment, calling it, "baseless". We'll still be across that story

for you. Still to come tonight, chaos continues to grip Haiti as gangs run rampant in the capital Port-au-Prince. We'll have more on how the violence

is upending children's lives as they bear the brunt of this conflict.

Plus, celebrations and protests around the world for International Women's Day, we'll have more on that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:25:00]

SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. A story we've been covering this week, Haiti continues to descend into lawlessness. Gangs run the capital Port-au-

Prince and Prime Minister Ariel Henry is nowhere to be found. U.S. officials are urging the PM to accelerate an urgent government transition.

But gang leaders warn of a genocide if Henry returns. But it's the children that bear the brunt of this violence. Several children tell CNN they have

been orphaned, wounded, raped, and even recruited by members of these armed groups. Our David Culver sat down with them and heard their stories.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On an abandoned airfield turned makeshift camp site. We step into this cramped space, the Caddo(ph)

family's home, lying on her family's only bed, we meet eight-year-old Wujinah Caddo(ph) looking at us with eyes that have seen the torment and

suffering that is engulfing Haiti.

(on camera): Do you remember where you were when the bullet hit you, when you got shot?

(voice-over): With her four-year-old sister keeping close watch, Wujinah(ph) tells me she was playing with friends when they were caught in

the crossfire of a gang shoot-out. She and her friends hid, but not quickly enough. A bullet tearing through her back and out her abdomen. Her dad

frustrated by life.

(on camera): And he says they've been here about a year-and-a-half. Before that they were in their own home. But they said because of the gang

violence, it was overtaken. Their home was burned down. So, here they are, hoping to have found what would have been a safe refuge. But he says, not

even this is safe. Feel better, OK?

(voice-over): Chaos now grips much of Haiti, especially the capital, Port- au-Prince. For the first time, a Haitian security source tells us rival gangs are now working together, launching a wide scale series of attacks

against the government. Going after the airport, police stations and prisons.

The terrible toll of the violence felt nearly everywhere, even here behind the high walls of Kizito(ph) family's home for children run by Sister

Piozi(ph). The rules here posted on a wall.

(on camera): Children must be friends --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They must be friends, they must get along with each other.

[14:30:00]

CULVER (voice-over): Getting along, that's the challenge here. Sister Paesie's lived in Port-Au-Prince for 25 years, the last five of which she's

dedicated to creating safe spaces for children, many of those here orphaned because of the deadly gang violence.

SISTER PAESIE PHILIPP, FAMILLE KIZITO FOUNDER: I never could have thought that things could become worse, but it did. It did. It did. Year after

year, more corruption, more violence, more weapons.

CULVER (voice-over): This place is now at capacity, and then some. "The children keep coming," she tells me. Sister says she also gets prayer

requests from those you might not expect.

PHILIPP: Sister, pray for us. Don't you see we are in danger? Pray for us. I'm hearing that every day from the gang members.

CULVER: The gang members are asking you to pray for them?

PHILIPP: Yes, yes, yes, yes.

CULVER (voice-over): Some of the gang members themselves, just kids. This 14-year-old says he was recruited at 11. "I can't go to school," he tells

me, wishing he could escape the gang's control. "I watch so many people get killed, and then I have to set their bodies on fire," he says.

Outside of Haiti's capital, it's more often the anti-government protests, rather than the gangs paralyzing cities. In Jeremie, we drive with members

of the World Food Program to a local school.

JEAN MARTIN BAUER, WORLD PROGRAMME COUNTRY DIRECTOR: food And these kids have not been in school since early January. They'll tell you why.

CULVER (voice-over): The Catholic priest who runs it shows us around.

CULVER: Just noticing on the chalkboard here, the last date, January 11th, it's the last time kids were actually inside this classroom since it's been

empty.

CULVER (voice-over): Violent protests erupted in January, making it too dangerous for the school's 234 students to travel to. For the staff here,

it's heartbreaking.

CULVER: Do you think about them in what's been now more than a month that they haven't been here? Do you think about their situation?

FATHER LOUIS JEAN ANTOINE, ST. JOHN BOSCO SCHOOL FOUNDER: This is very sad for them, for us also, because I know --

CULVER (voice-over): He knows it's about more than missing out on an education.

ANTOINE: I know they are at home. They are hungry. They have nothing. They are children. They have to eat.

CULVER (voice-over): Hunger is what drove this young teen to go out at night alone in gang-controlled territory last year, hoping to find food.

Instead, she tells us she was attacked and raped, giving birth in January to a baby boy, the son of a likely gang member, she thinks. "I can't

abandon him," she tells me. "My mother struggled a lot with me, so I have to do the same for him, even if it is a child raising another child," she

says.

Children bearing the brunt of a broken country that is spiraling further into chaos with each passing day. David Culver, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Just harrowing. Let's go now to Port-au-Prince, where MSF's Head of Mission in Haiti, Sophie Mealier, joins me now.

And Sophie, welcome to the show. We understand that the health care system in Haiti is near collapse. Can you tell me what you and your team are

seeing day in, day out in Haiti, and particularly in Port-au-Prince?

SOPHIE MEALIER, MSF, HEAD OF MISSION IN HAITI: Hi, good evening. Yes. Actually, the health system is collapsing in Haiti and in Port-au-Prince,

indeed.

Since Tuesday, with the increase of violence that we have seen, the MOH, the Minister of Health, has difficulty to handle all of the situation and

all of the victims from the violence. So, the problem is because the population, the staff from the MOH is also part of the population, they are

struggling also to get the staff coming in.

So, we have a health center where they are based also in the hotspot. So they can keep it open also because it's dangerous for them and dangerous

for the patient. So yes, of course, the situation is chaotic because we cannot respond to all of the needs in this situation.

SOARES: And Sophie, can you just clarify how many hospitals are operational?

MEALIER: Actually, there is one big MOH, Minister of Health Hospital, still operational in Port-au-Prince because the second one has been closed after

the start of the crisis because they were just close to the area where they started the fight. So, the patient couldn't -- it was letting the patient

to come, it was already a danger.

[14:35:05]

But also the staff will have difficulty to come also and work there. And then, of course, all the staff wanted to flee at that time. So they had to

close and they had to hand over the patient to other hospital, private hospital, and then the general hospital. That is still functioning but

struggling because, of course, now they are overwhelmed.

SOARES: Yes. Overwhelmed, clearly a system already stretched and gangs very much in control. How is that reflected, Sophie, in terms of the injuries

that you are seeing?

MEALIER: We are seeing a lot of injured patients from the violence, of course, coming in our hospital, trauma patients for sure. We have one

hospital in the north of Port-au-Prince where we are receiving trauma patients.

And then we just opened a new hospital in the outside, south of Port-au- Prince also, where we can also receive a trauma patient. Then we also have -- we also had one hospital that we just reopened now. It was supposed to

reopen in middle of March, but we -- due to the situation, we had to open earlier, two weeks earlier, and then we received patients, we stabilized

patients in this hospital, and then we transferred them to a trauma hospital after.

We have difficulty because, of course, the situation is not easy and then surrounding us, it's not safe, but we are trying to keep it open to give

access to the patient. Otherwise, they will not have access to any healthcare.

SOARES: And that's an important point that you're bringing up because with such high levels of insecurity, I wonder whether you've had or you continue

to have, Sophie, access to medical supplies.

I know the international airport had been closed for several days. I don't know if the port is open. How are you in terms of access to aid?

MEALIER: Well, so in terms of access, there is different access. First, we have one access to go to see the patients. So in top of those three

hospitals, we have also mobile clinics normally who are working around the town. So those mobile clinics clearly have been closed since the beginning

of the fight because they cannot have access inside their different quarters.

Then we try to keep open the hospital and we open a new one, but of course, difficult to access. And then -- so our staff every day, they are

struggling to come. We changed the shift also instead of to have like eight hour, we are working now 24 hour at least like that.

It's avoiding the movement of our staff in and out. Then of course, we are now facing an emergency. Then we are using our stock and indeed you

mentioned that the airport is closed.

Then also the airport is -- the port is closed and we had still container that we were trying to ask for custom clearance. Then we are still waiting

for. So until now, we can still work because of course we have stock and we have pharmacies, but we are waiting and trying to clear the container that

we now are clearly not able at all to clear. So, the container are stuck and we are waiting for in Port-au-Prince.

SOARES: And before we came to you, we had a report from our colleague in Port-au-Prince who filed this report, our David Culver from Port-au-Prince,

where he looked at the impact of how children are bearing the brunt of this gang violence, this lawlessness. Hunger is one aspect that he was looking

at. Have you seen malnutrition, hunger, you seeing signs of that already?

MEALIER: We don't -- we haven't seen let's say yet for sure, but what we are worried of is there is a lot of displaced people that happened since

the last, let's say a week. People who were already displaced had to move again because their new basement place, it's now dangerous.

Then you have a new people who were living in their house. They had to leave their quarter. They followed for a new camp settlement. And what we -

- what is the problem is this is just a space at a school or church or wherever they can come and they can stay. So there is no - there's no

toilet available. There is no shower available. There is no water available. There is no drinking water available. They don't have a shelter

to sleep and to take care of them. They don't have food also.

And we are clearly concerned on the consequences because I think people can just stay for a few days like that.

[14:40:01]

But they cannot stay for longer.

SOARES: Yes, very concerning indeed. Sophie Mealier, really appreciate, Sophie, you taking the time to speak to us there from Port-au-Prince.

Well, right now, police in Nigeria are searching for hundreds of children who have been kidnapped. They say gunmen raided a school in the

northwestern state of Kaduna on Thursday. Hundreds of children who have been kidnapped.

They say gunmen raided a school in the northwestern state of Kaduna on Thursday. The armed bandits initially took more than 300 students, but

police say some were rescued. At least 287 of them are still believed to be with the kidnappers.

Kaduna's governor says one person who confronted the gunman was killed.

We'll take a short break. We'll be back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Well, the excitement is growing in Hollywood for the Oscars, the 2024 Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

The ceremony will be televised live to more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. Jimmy Kimmel is back as this year's host.

Some of the big nominees include Oppenheimer, Poor Things, and Barbie.

Joining us now from Los Angeles, CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister. So Elizabeth, talk us through what can we expect this weekend?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: You know, we can expect a ton of big stars because as you said, Oppenheimer and Barbie,

those are two of the most nominated films. And we know that those were two of the biggest films of the year. So it's great news that people have

actually seen the films that are nominated this year.

Now, I just sat down with Jimmy Kimmel this week. He took a break from his rehearsals to give us a preview of what to expect. He is back for the

fourth time this year. I said, Jimmy, are you the only person in this town who can host an award show? And he said, no, but it seems everyone else is

smarter than me. And they say no, but I say yes.

Now I asked him, what type of tone can we expect? Do you want to roast the celebrities? Are you scared about offending them? And here's a little

preview. I asked him who's safe on that stage. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WAGMEISTER: George Santos.

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST OF THE 96TH ACADEMY AWARDS: Yes, safe, but I think he would -- I think it would make him so happy if he was mentioned at the

Oscars and I'm not interested in making him happy.

WAGMEISTER: The Hollywood Strikes.

KIMMEL: The Strikes, yes, is something I will talk about. Sure.

WAGMEISTER: Ken being nominated, but not Barbie.

KIMMEL: There'll be some like version of that. Yes.

WAGMEISTER: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce?

KIMMEL: Not off limits, but probably played out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[14:45:00]

WAGMEISTER: Now, you may remember at the Golden Globes, the host, Jo Koy, did make a joke about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. It didn't go over so

well, so it seems that Jimmy won't be going there. Now I also asked him, what about Aaron Rodgers? You may recall that they recently got in a very

public feud because Aaron Rodgers falsely suggested that Jimmy Kimmel's name might have shown up on court documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein

case.

Well, that didn't happen, but their feud is still going strong. Jimmy Kimmel tells me that he does not plan to mention Aaron Rodgers and that

he's also not welcome on his talk show.

Now, I asked, are politics going to take center stage at the Oscars? Because, of course, on his late night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, he does

often talk about what's going on in Washington, D.C., and he said probably not going to be a big part of the show.

SOARES: Looking forward to it. The big tease there from Jimmy Kimmel. So with some of the topics there including potentially maybe, who knows?

Taylor Swift. Elizabeth Wagmeister, appreciate it. Thank you very much.

And still to come tonight, thousands around the world mark International Women's Day. After the break, I speak to one British academic who's made it

her mission to raise the profile of women on Wikipedia. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Well, today marks International Women's Day, a day of celebration for women's achievements, but also a call to action.

And we've been seeing that in cities right around the world, as you can see there. Women taking to the streets to make sure their voices are heard,

protesting and rallying against gender inequality and gender-based violence.

Thousands in Brussels marched earlier to demand equal rights for women.

In Kyrgyzstan capital, hundreds called for better protection for women and punishment for domestic abusers. And this hour, we've seen scenes on the

streets, as you can see, of Madrid.

But International Women's Day is also about celebrating the social, the economic, cultural, as well as political achievements of women. And that's

what our next guest has set out to do.

Lucy Moore is a U.K. academic and Wikipedia editor, I should say. She has created a Wikipedia page for a woman in every country of the world and is

calling for more women to contribute to the world's largest encyclopedia.

She joins me now from Leeds in England. Lucy, welcome to the show. Just explain to our viewers first why you decided to do this, why you decided to

take on this project.

[14:50:00]

LUCY MOORE, ACADEMIC AND WIKIPEDIA EDITOR: So I learned to edit in 2019. And ironically, I initially wanted to edit about soldiers from the First

World War. However, the editing event that I went to, to be trained, told me that actually there were huge gaps about content around women and

women's history and women's issues on Wikipedia, so that immediately kind of, I did a U-turn.

And I thought, actually, if I'm going to put energy into this, then I need to focus my energy on women's lives. And I started editing, and I started

creating articles, biographical articles about women.

And after editing for a couple of years, I realized that I had written articles for women from probably about half, half the countries in the

world. And I am a great believer in fairness and justice. So I thought, well, I need to make a list and ensure that I cover a woman from every

country in the world.

SOARES: And Lucy, for the majority of us, you know, we, you know, when we hear of a name, we Google it, right, or Wikipedia it. Where did you start?

How did you start looking for these names?

MOORE: Yes, so I think Wikipedia editing really is about aggregating sources, aggregating the information that's about women. And to get

inspiration, it can come from a really wide range of places.

It might be a woman that I've read about in the news, it might be someone that I've read about in a book. Sometimes people send me names that they

think should be included on Wikipedia. And there's a -- within Wikipedia, there's communities of editors, one of the communities that I edit with is

called Women in Red. And they have a lot of lists of suggested names for women who could be included. So, there's lots of places to get inspiration

from.

SOARES: And I know, of course, reliable sources are very important. I know you need three reliable sources, but tell our viewers some of your favorite

names, biographies that you've come across and you've been responsible for.

MOORE: Yes, so two of the women I'm perhaps most in awe of, who I've written about, are Julia Chinn and Gloria Meneses. So Julia Chinn was an

enslaved woman, who was owned by the Vice President of the United States, Richard Mentor Johnson.

But unusually for the time, he treated her as a wife. But even more unusually, she ran the plantation that he owned when he was away. And she

was also in charge of the cash for the estate, which was very unusual for an enslaved woman during that period.

And her -- I could write about her life because historians recently have done a lot of work in finding out who she was and what her responsibilities

were.

SOARES: I see a movie in here. I see a moving video, she's a phenomenal character. I was reading up about her earlier.

MOORE: Yes, absolutely. So it's wonderful. It's just so wonderful to see so much more interest in her life.

And for Gloria Meneses, she was a woman who -- a woman from Montevideo, who was assigned male at birth, but lived as a woman from about 1950 onwards,

which again, was very unusual for that time period. She lived very openly and has been featured in exhibitions and films in Uruguay.

And I came across her when I was walking in the city late last year and saw her photograph in a square. And I thought, who is this person? How

extraordinary. And I -- there was already a page in Spanish, but I made one in English for her because English is still a dominant language on the

internet. So, it's really important. Content is available in English too.

SOARES: And there's only about 90 percent of biographies of women, I understand, on Wikipedia, which is, you know, staggering.

Really appreciate you taking the time to speak to us, Lucy. Thank you very much. Keep up the project. It is fascinating.

I want to ask you very quickly, is there -- how much longer are you going to continue doing this for?

MOORE: Oh, I think I'll be editing forever. It's a fantastic thing to be able to do.

SOARES: You're going to continue? Is there one in particular who you're working on next?

MOORE: Well, actually, someone today pointed out that for directors of the British Museum in London, all of the directors have Wikipedia pages, apart

from the only woman. So, I think she might be next on my list.

SOARES: That sounds fantastic. Thank you very much, Lucy Moore there from Leeds in England, with a fantastic project for all of us. Appreciate it.

Now, I want to end the show tonight on this International Women's Day.

[14:55:02]

Celebrating the resilience as well as the courage of women and mothers everywhere. Those in Gaza who have demonstrated unparalleled strength to

keep going no matter what. Giving birth amid the chaos of war in rubble- filled floors with no anesthesia, with no hygiene and no support.

Those having to resort to using pieces of clothing or strips from their tents for sanitary products and the countless others fighting day in and

day out to keep their loved ones fed, safe and alive.

Equally, we celebrate the strength of the numerous women still being held hostage by Hamas, facing unbearable conditions and all the risks of

captivity, sexual abuse and psychological trauma, all while their mothers and grandmothers, whose arms they were ripped from, plead for their

release.

The women in Ukraine, both on the front lines and at home, who after two years of war are fatigued but still resolute.

Those in Sudan who have been displaced and face the horrors and hardships of war, the famine and the fighting and the women in Afghanistan and Iran,

who continue to fight every day for equality and justice.

We see you, we hear you and on the show we will always raise your voice and tell your stories. From myself and the team, a very good night.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END