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Preliminary Evidence: Mild Symptoms with Omicron; Germany Locks Down the Unvaccinated as Cases Surge; WHO Warning Governments to Prepare for Omicron; Blinken: Up to Moscow to Defuse Tensions with Ukraine; Nonprofit Rescues 9-Year-Old Girl Sold into Marriage; China Faces Host of Challenges Ahead of Winter Games. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired December 03, 2021 - 00:00   ET

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

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And hello, everyone. I'm Paula Newton.

[00:00:19]

Ahead right here on CNN NEWSROOM, locking down the unvaccinated. With coronavirus cases surging, German leaders announced tough new restrictions, and warned mandatory vaccines could be next.

Face to face. High-level officials from Washington and Moscow meet amid a troop build-up and heightened tensions along Russia's border with Ukraine.

And sold into marriage at the age of just 9. The story of how a child bride was rescued.

So Finland, Greece, and India are the latest countries to report cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. And Germany is taking a major step to fight a surge in COVID infections there.

Now, unvaccinated people are now on the lockdown in Germany, banned from all but the most essential businesses. European health officials say the Omicron variant could account for more than half of the cases on the continent within the next few months. That's prompting calls for mandatory vaccinations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): Mandatory vaccinations will be discussed and voted on in the German Bundestag. And the government and the states will ask the Ethics Council to work on a recommendation by year's end. Mandatory vaccinations could then, if approved in Parliament, become effective around February 2022.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: And now, here in the United States, all travelers coming into the country will face tighter testing requirements starting Monday. Even U.S. citizens now will have to show a negative COVID test from one day before their departure, 24 hours. Foreign nationals must also be fully vaccinated. The White House says a vaccine mandate for domestic travel is still on

the table.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This tighter testing timetable provides an added degree of protection as scientists continue to study the Omicron variant. And we are extending the requirement, both internationally and domestically, to wear masks for travel on aircraft, trains, and public transportation, through the winter months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, the Omicron variant was first identified in South Africa, where cases are now surging, and researchers say preliminary evidence shows people are more likely to be reinfected, a second or third time even, with the new mutation, even if they have already had the virus previously.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Omicron variant now makes up three-quarters of positive tests in South Africa's Gauteng province. The country is facing a new wave of coronavirus infections.

And a top South African researcher said Thursday that it may be fueled, in part, by a unique characteristic about Omicron.

ANNE VON GOTTBERG, SOUTH AFRICA NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES: We monitor these reinfections for the Beta and for the Delta wave, and we didn't see an increase in reinfections over and above what we expect, when the force of infection cases, when the wave stops. We are seeing an increase of Omicron. Previous infection used to protect against Delta, and now with Omicron, it doesn't seem to be the case.

PLEITGEN: All preliminary evidence points to relatively mild symptoms with Omicron.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of --

PLEITGEN: And scientists are still hopeful that the current vaccines will prevent severe disease.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We know from our experience with Delta that even though the vaccine is not directed specifically at Delta, it's directed against the ancestral strain, the Wuhan strain. When you get your levels of antibody high enough, you protect against Delta. That's where we're hoping we'll see with the Omicron variant.

PLEITGEN: With or without Omicron, the pandemic rages on. Here in Germany, hospitalizations are rising, and the government is banning unvaccinated people from accessing all but most essential businesses.

Both Angela Merkel and her designated successor, Olaf Scholz, who is set to take over next week, say they back the idea of mandatory vaccinations.

MERKEL (through translator): We will reserve access to cultural and recreational facilities and events throughout Germany, regardless of the incidents, only to those who have been vaccinated and cured.

PLEITGEN: South Korea has found just a handful of Omicron cases among travelers from Africa but is reporting a record number of new coronavirus infections for the second straight day.

[00:05:08]

Omicron has proven once again that no one is safe until we're all safe. And the WHO is urging African governments to step up their vaccination efforts.

DR. ABDOU SALAM GUEYE, REGIONAL EMERGENCY DIRECTOR FOR AFRICA, WHO: Africa has made little inroads in the path to providing maximum protection. So far, only 102 million Africans in Africa, or 7.5 percent of the continent population, is fully vaccinated. More than 80 percent of the population has not received even a single dose.

PLEITGEN: Vaccination centers like this one in Nigeria as critical as ever in the global efforts to end the coronavirus pandemic.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Dr. Shoshanna Ungerleider is an internal medical physician at California Pacific Medical Center, and she joins me now from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

And it is good to see you again. We -- we seem to believe that we had this thing licked, right? That we were going to get through this. The variant is definitely a curveball.

I want to ask you first about those new measures announced by the Biden administration. Materially, how much do you believe that this can change the trajectory of infections, and if not infections, at least illness?

DR. SHOSHANNA UNGERLEIDER, INTERNAL MEDICAL PHYSICIAN, CALIFORNIA PACIFIC MEDICAL CENTER: Well, Paula, you know, certainly having a negative test 24 hours prior to air travel adds an extra layer of protection. The idea is that testing just before the flight will help catch more positive cases, although we do know cases of this new variant were present in Europe prior to the identification of Omicron by South African scientists.

So most likely, it's been spreading globally, including here in the U.S., under the radar for a while. And we're only just now picking it up. You know, there's quite a few important questions about Omicron that

are being investigated by the scientific community and I think we'll be likely living with some uncertainty on just how problematic this new variant is for a few more weeks, which I know is really hard for people.

But for now, I think we have to stay tuned, and I do think that tightening international travel restrictions may buy us some extra time.

It will buy some extra time, certainly, with tightening the borders, but there are problems, you know, within countries, the United States obviously being one, with the low rate of vaccination.

But, you know, Fred in this package was just talking about Germany. It's trying to get tough. Do you think, you know, punitive measures can work? They've not really had much of an effect so far.

UNGERLEIDER: Well, what Germany is doing is certainly in a bold and aggressive move. I think that there, the immediate concern is that Germany's fourth COVID wave will overload their hospitals, which I think is a founded concern, as deaths from coronavirus are on the rise there.

We know these COVID vaccines have been proven to be safe and very effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths from SARS-COV-2. So whatever people are waiting for to convince them to take a shot, that time has certainly passed. And I think severely limiting what people who are unvaccinated can do in their day-to-day lives may be enough of an incentive for them to take the vaccine. But, you know, we're going to have to see.

NEWTON: Yes, I wonder if this new variant -- I know you were very clear that it will take, you know, several more days, if not a few weeks, to really find out what it's all about.

Should we be hopeful, though, that in terms of the way this is going to evolve, that it could, in fact, lead to perhaps more infections, but milder illness?

UNGERLEIDER: You know, Paula, we just don't know. Right? There's so many unanswered questions. Globally, the scientific community is really working together to not only look at things like vaccine effectiveness against this new variant. They're looking at the -- in the lab to see just how well things like, you know, our new antiviral treatments, our tests are able to pick up this new variant.

And I think while this new variant is certainly concerning, it's so important that we stay focused on the current reality of this pandemic.

You know, Delta remains the dominant variant worldwide, and as we head into the December holidays, hospitalizations here in the U.S. from COVID are up 20 percent from our most recent low point on November 10. And we only have 60 percent of Americans fully vaccinated.

In Europe, we know many countries are seeing their largest surges yet.

We know how to stop this virus from spreading. It's so critical that people get vaccinated if they haven't yet. And if you haven't gotten boosted, and you're eligible, do not wait. Go get that booster dose. Encourage everyone to know to do the same thing right away.

I think we all need to show up with as much immune protection as possible for the holidays. And certainly, we say this over and over, but vaccines really are our best defense, and they have stood up really well to all the variants so far.

[00:10:00]

NEWTON: Yes. And for those of us fortunate enough to be able to walk down the street, literally, and get a vaccine, good for us.

We just heard, as well, here, that look, it's been months we've been talking about the Global Vaccine Project, and still, it hasn't happened.

Do you think that now is the time, and I mean a global effort. We're on the ground. You're not just giving the vaccines, right? You're giving them the infrastructure to actually administer those vaccines.

UNGERLEIDER: It's critical. Paula, we need to get as many vaccines in arms, and do whatever it takes across the globe to do that as fast as we can.

And I think the U.S. has really done more than any other country to help other nations. We've sent out, I think, more than 250 million doses of vaccines. We've committed to another billion more.

And we need to do this. Not just for humanitarian reasons, but also for our own self-interest, right? Because until the world is fully vaccinated, we very well may have to contend with more problematic variants.

NEWTON: And I want to ask you about how people should be coping with this in their own lives. It has been difficult, because people want to take this seriously, and yet people are fatigued. And also, others are very fearful now, just when we thought where we are coming out of it.

We've had all those great scholarly articles. They're trying to feature and envision the end of the pandemic. Now, with this new variant, what does the end of the pandemic look like now?

UNGERLEIDER: Well, again, right, so we are living in this moment of uncertainty. People hate it. I certainly do, too. I love having data and really understanding what's going on moment to moment.

I think we all just need to sit tight. We need to look ahead to the holidays and do the things that we know work, which are, again, getting those vaccines, getting boosted if they're available to you. Wearing masks when we're in public. Staying outdoors, weather permitting, as much as possible. And I think that we all need to turn to our neighbors, and -- and with

kindness, and really be hopeful about a future where this pandemic is behind us. But certainly, the way forward, right, is getting those vaccines in arms.

NEWTON: Yes. Kindness and patience, it has tested so many of us and unfortunately will keep doing so. Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

UNGERLEIDER: Thanks for having me.

NEWTON: Now the director of the WHO in the western Pacific says the Omicron variant will eventually come to most countries in the region, and they're urging governments to prepare now.

For more on that, I'm joined by Blake Essig. He is live for us in Tokyo. It's a warning that we should all be used to by now. But the region is specific, right, Blake, in the sense that this has been a region that, more than any other, arguably, has really tried to hold true to the, quote, "zero COVID" philosophy, with varying degrees of success there.

BLAKE ESSIG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, Paula, for a time. Obviously, China at this point really the only country still holding out to that zero COVID mentality.

But here in Japan, specifically, I mean, tourism has not been a thing since the pandemic began nearly two years ago. And as a result, the economy has suffered. We've experienced five different waves of COVID- 19 over the past two years. And as I said, the economy has suffered as a result of it. A lot of businesses, restaurants, bars and whatnot, closed down; have not been able to reopen. But that's a reality in many countries around this region and around the world.

And while I know it's disappointing to hear, the WHO officials made it clear today that this pandemic is far from over and that we must adapt to the way we manage the virus to better cope with future surges.

And now, with this new variant starting to spread, officials are pointing to our experience throughout, roughly, the past two years as a guide for what needs to be done now.

They say it's important for countries to aim for higher vaccination coverage, especially for priority groups like health care workers and the elderly. Continuing to promote public health and social measures like mask wearing and social distancing, ensuring strong healthcare capacity so that doctors are treating the right patients at the right time, at the right place, and strengthening active surveillance by testing, and taking a risk-based approach to border control.

Now, though there's still a lot we don't know about this new variant. Health experts said today that the information we do have suggests it is more transmissible than even the Delta variant. And as a result, many governments across the region have tightened entry requirements, quarantine rules and whatnot, to try to keep this virus out -- Paula. NEWTON: Yes. Most dramatically, as you said, there in Japan, where the

borders remain closed to foreign nationals. Blake Essig for us, there live from Tokyo. Appreciate it.

Now, as military tensions ratchet up along Ukraine's border with Russia, a high-stakes meeting between the top diplomats of Russia and the United States. A report from Stockholm. That's just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:17:09]

NEWTON: As Russia's troop buildup continues near Ukraine, and the threat of a possible invasion grows larger, America's top diplomat says it's up to Moscow to de-escalate the situation.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the remark on Thursday, following a 30-minute meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

CNN's Alex Marquardt has the latest from Stockholm.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This highly anticipated sit-down between the U.S. secretary of state and his Russian counterpart was serious and sober, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

It did not, however, result in any sort of concrete agreement that would lead to the immediate de-escalation of this crisis between Russia and Ukraine.

Nor did Secretary Blinken lay out explicitly what the serious consequences would be for Russia, should they decide to invade Ukraine.

Blinken did tell the Russians that, before this meeting, and in it, that there would be serious costs from the U.S., and its allies, if Russia does decide to go ahead with military action.

So the goal for now is to keep these diplomatic discussions going in the coming days. And Blinken said today that there could be a call soon between presidents Biden and Putin. Take a listen.

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Foreign Minister Lavrov and I had candid exchanges on our different perspectives. We agreed to report those back to our presidents, who may have the opportunity to speak directly in the near future.

It's now on Russia to de-escalate the current tensions by reversing the recent troop build-up, returning forces to normal peacetime positions, and refraining from further intimidation and attempts to destabilize Ukraine.

MARQUARDT: So the two sides will continue to talk. A senior State Department official told reporters that there would be intense diplomacy in the coming days, with the hope that, eventually, Russia would pull back its forces and agree to a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine.

For its part, Russia says that it is acting in self-defense, and that its security is threatened as NATO moves eastward, towards its border.

Now, Blinken has said that it is not clear, that Russia has made up its mind whether to invade Ukraine or not, but that it has the need to do so in short order.

What the U.S. and NATO are seeing right now, as far as Russian movements and troop buildup, is very similar to what they saw back in 2014, when Russia also put troops along the Ukrainian border and then invaded Ukraine, annexing Crimea.

Alex Marquardt, CNN, Stockholm.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Josh Rogin is a CNN political analyst and "Washington Post" columnist. He joins us now from Washington.

Josh, really good to see you. Just to try and tease out some -- some real news lines from what happened today, because it is hard when they go in there, and they start firing off barbs, back and forth.

You know, of course, Sergey Lavrov said, you know, the United States is risking a nightmare scenario. I think that the United States already understands what's at stake here, and yet, it didn't seem like anything got done during this meeting.

[00:20:07]

JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Right. I think it's important to say, first of all, that this escalation was caused by actions on the Russian side of buildup of 93,000 troops and tanks, et cetera.

So Lavrov's assertion that the United States is making the situation more dangerous seems a little out of whack with events. But regardless, I do think that we learned a lot about the respective positions of both countries in this, and for this meeting today. Lavrov said when he wanted. He wants a separate dialogue on Ukraine with the United States.

Tony Blinken, the secretary of state, didn't comment on that, really. And Tony Blinken told Lavrov and the press what he -- what the United States wants, which is for the Russians to unilaterally draw back their escalation on their side of the Russia/Ukraine border.

But there's no sign that Lavrov has any intention of doing that, either.

I think a big question is what is the U.S. prepared to do? First of all, before any invasion, to deter Russia from going forward with it, and second of all, if they actually do go through with it, what's the threat? What's the punishment? And is that something that the Russians really care about?

That's what we don't know. That's what the two leaders did not reveal. And I think that's what most observers are looking for.

NEWTON: Yes. If you look at the situation of the way Joe Biden decided to meet with Vladimir Putin so early in his presidency, though, it does seem as if they -- both leaders understand that they have a basis from which to negotiate on any conflict. That things won't just go well for both countries, as opposed to where they are right now.

I have to ask you, Josh, you know, the national security team in Washington right now, especially when it comes to the military itself, the military commanders, they've been quite blunt about what's at stake here, and what they believe will happen in the coming months? I mean, how seriously do you think the White House is taking that intelligence right now?

ROGIN: You know, there's no doubt that there's a very, very high level of concern inside the White House, inside the State Department, inside the U.S. military, because they simply don't know. Even U.S. agencies don't know what Putin is planning, and if he's really going to cross that line that they're threatening him not to cross.

And of course, that's the way that Putin wants it. Our uncertainty is the advantage, and he's preserving that advantage in order to keep relevance, and to the attention of the administration. And I think there's some gamesmanship on both sides, to be sure.

But everybody I talked to in the Biden administration says the same thing. They say, we believe there's a real possibility that a work escalation could break out. We don't know exactly what Joe Biden is going to do if that happens.

And, you know, that not knowing is really what puts Ukrainians in a tough position. It puts our allies in a tough position, because they can't really coalesce around the defensive strategy, until the United States decides what that strategy is going to be, and that they can follow it.

So I think tensions are getting very, very high.

NEWTON: Just before you go, Josh, I do want to ask you about more broadly, the national security team, whether it's Antony Blinken or Jake Sullivan. They've got a lot of balls in the air right now.

I mean, and the track record, so far, you know, they are, by their own admission, has not been great. Do you think there's going to be any re-tooling there, changes at all?

ROGIN: Well, it's clear that Biden campaigned on America coming back in the world, and that he made big promises and raised big expectations about America's revived role, leading democracy, freedom, and human rights.

And it's very clear that the administration is falling short of those expectations, for the reason that you mentioned. Because they've got a lot on their plate.

And their remaining effort now is just to not have any more crises. They've got COVID. They've got China, and they've got, you know, possible Taiwan contingency. They're going to have a summit of democracies next week that they really haven't prepared very well for.

So yes, there's a very small number of people inside the top ranks of the Biden administration who can really make those decisions, and that's sort of the problem. There's a bottleneck.

And, you know, if they don't fix something in the second year to actually do what they say and sort of increase America's presence in all these various and growing issues.

I think a lot of allies and partners are going to conclude that America is not coming back and that this is just the way it is now, and then they're going to go their own way.

NEWTON: Yes. And, it is, obviously, when you have allies, NATO allies, countries like that, already, questioning their commitment going forward, in the coming months, to so many issues. But they really do have a lot of work to do.

ROGIN: That's exactly right.

NEWTON: Thanks so much. Appreciate it.

ROGIN: Anytime.

NEWTON: The International Olympic Committee says it held another call with Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai on Wednesday. Now, they say, she is safe and well and they have offered her, quote, "wide-ranging support."

But, the IOC has not released any videos of the call.

[00:25:05]

Now, the head of the Women's Tennis Association says those calls were very much orchestrated. And while the WTA says it has received a third email from Peng, their concerns remain.

Now, a spokesperson said, they stand by their decision to suspend all events in China and demand an investigation into the alleged sexual assault Peng made against a retired senior communist leader.

Now, a legal victory now for Meghan Markle in the latest round of her privacy battle with the publisher of "The Mail" on Sunday.

The Duchess of Sussex had previously won a judgment against the publisher, Associated Newspapers Ltd., for reproducing parts of a letter she sent to her father.

Now, they appealed the decision, but on Thursday, the court ruled that the duchess had, in fact, a reasonable expectation of privacy in the contents of the letter. Markle celebrated the judgment, saying, quote, "While this win is

precedent setting, what matters most is that we are now collectively brave enough to reshape a tabloid industry that conditions people to be cruel and profits from the lies and pain that they create."

Associated Newspapers Ltd. say they are considering an appeal to the British Supreme Court.

Now, when we come back, a 9-year-old girl rescued from child marriage in Afghanistan. Now, I'm sure many of you remember this story, our exclusive story on Parwana, who was sold as a child bride.

Now, she is safe, and speaking once again with our Anna Coren.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: Last month, we brought you a distressing story about child marriage in Afghanistan. Now, many of you were particularly disturbed by the case of 9-year-old Parwana, who was sold into marriage to a 55- year-old man for about $2,000.

Her father said it really was his only option to feed his family. CNN was granted rare permission to document that disturbing sale and handover.

Now, after an international outcry following our story, the U.S.-based nonprofit Too Young to Wed got involved, and they, in fact, rescued Parwana. CNN was there to document it, and Anna Coren, once again, brings us this exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An Iranian love song plays from a cassette as a driver navigates his way through the snow-dusted Leman (ph) Valley in northwestern Afghanistan.

In the back of the station wagon is a mother and her six children, who have just left behind a life of constant struggle and hardship, all they've ever known.

[00:30:04]

Among them, 9-year-old Parwana. Our cameraman, Sadiki (ph) asks her how she's feeling.

"I'm so happy," she says, with a beaming smile.

CNN met Parwana, dressed in pink, in an internally displaced camp in Badghis province back in October. Her father claimed he was selling her to feed the rest of the family as a humanitarian crisis grips the country.

He'd already sold his 12-year-old into marriage, and told CNN that unless his situation improved, he would have to sell his four remaining daughters, as well, including the youngest, just 2.

"If I didn't have these daughters to sell," he asks, "what should I do?"

Parwana's buyer, who lived in a nearby village, confirmed he was taking the 9-year-old as his second wife.

QORBAN, BUYER OF PARWANA (through translator): I'm 55 years old. I have a wife with four daughters and a son. I bought her for myself. I will wait until she becomes older.

COREN: CNN was granted rare access to film the final payment and hand over. The buyer asked for it to take place at a house in his village, and not the camp, for security reasons. He paid a total of 200,000 Afghanis, just over 2,000 U.S. dollars, for Parwana in land, sheep, and cash.

"This is your bride. Please take care of her," says Parwana's father.

"Of course I will take care of her," replies the man.

As he drags her away, she whimpers. Moments later, she digs her heels into the dirt, refusing to go. But it's hopeless.

CNN's story caused an outcry.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: And now a distressing story out of Afghanistan, showing the harsh --

COREN: The network was inundated with offers of help from the public aid organizations and NGOs wanting to assist Parwana and the other girls featured in our story.

The U.S.-based charity, Too Young to Wed, took the lead. Its founding executive director, Stephanie Sinclair, has been working to end child marriage and help vulnerable girls around the world for almost 20 years. She says the perfect storm is brewing in Afghanistan, and it's the girls that are suffering.

STEPHANIE SINCLAIR, FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TOO YOUNG TO WED: I know these stories are difficult to watch, and they're difficult to do. And they bring out a lot of concern.

But at the same time, we need to keep people understanding that this is happening. We need to keep ringing the alarm bells. Understand, these are real girls and real lives, and they can be changed.

COREN: Within Badghis province, there was widespread backlash towards Parwana's father and the buyer after our story went to air, with claims they brought shame on the community. Even the Taliban told CNN the practice is forbidden.

MAWLAWI BAZ MOHAMMAD SARWARY, BADGHIS INFORMATION AND CULTURE DIRECTORATE (through translator): I request everyone not to sell their children. Child marriage is not a good thing, and we condemn it.

COREN: Women's rights activist and U.S. citizen Mahbouba Seraj, who chose to stay in Kabul after the Taliban swept to power in August to run her women's shelter, says Parwana's case is just the tip of the iceberg.

MAHBOUBA SERAJ, AFGHAN WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVIST: There is a lot of misery. There is a lot of mistreatment. There is a lot of abuse is involved in these things. And it will keep on happening, with the hunger, with the winter, with poverty.

COREN: As a result of the controversy caused by the story and intervention from the charity, Parwana was allowed to return home after almost two weeks with the buyer's family.

"Since Parwana has been rescued, I'm very happy for that," says Parwana's father. He admitted to CNN that, under duress from the community and some local media outlets, he changed his story out of embarrassment for what he had done and apologized.

The buyer is unreachable for comment, but the debt is still outstanding.

Too Young to Wed then organized to get Parwana, her mother and siblings removed from the camp with the father's permission.

Their four-hour journey to neighboring Herat province was broken up with some childhood fun before arriving at the motel. For children who've only ever lived in a tent, the novelty of being warm, fed, and safe wasn't wearing off.

"They rescued me. They've given me a new life," says Parwana. "I thank the charity for helping me."

A few days later, they moved into the safe house. Parwana's mother, 27-year-old Resagout (ph), has never lived in a house. She was sold into marriage at 13 and has since had seven children, six of whom were girls.

Most days in the camp, she would beg for food, and often her family would go to sleep hungry. Now all she wants is to give her children a better life.

[00:35:05]

"I have a dream, a wish they go to school and start an education," she says. "I have a lot of wishes for them."

Too Young to Wed has already begun distributing aid to Parwana's impoverished camp, among others. While the small charity is prepared to bridge the gap, they're calling on the large aid organizations to step up.

SINCLAIR: These are communities that have relied on international aid for the last 20 years. And so, with a lot of that aid stopping, these people didn't stop needing support. We can't let them pay the price. Because, ultimately, girls always pay the biggest price.

COREN: I speak to Parwana on Zoom through my colleague, Basir (ph).

(on camera): Hello, Parwana. I'm Anna. PARWANA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

BASIR (ph): How are you? How are you feeling?

COREN: I'm very good, thank you. How are you?

PARWANA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

BASIR (ph): I'm fine. I'm so happy. I'm safe. I'm rescued.

COREN (voice-over): Then she asks, "When are you sending me to school?" She wants to study and become a doctor or a teacher.

But fairytale endings are few and far between for girls in Afghanistan, even more so now than ever.

Anna Coren, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: And our thanks to Anna for keeping track of that family.

And if you would like to help young girls like Parwana, please visit TooYoungtoWed.org. You can learn more about their work in Afghanistan and how you could be part of the solution.

Straight ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, China is facing a host of challenges and controversies as the Winter Olympics near. We'll take a look at how the mainland is preparing. We are live in Beijing, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: So the Beijing Winter Olympics are fast approaching now. A little more than two months to go. Can you believe it? China is facing a host of challenges, though, ahead of these games, with the controversy surrounding China star Peng Shuai, we just talked to you about, as well as those growing concerns over the Omicron variant.

Now pressure continues to mount on Beijing as it, of course, pushes ahead with his preparations.

CNN's David Culver is live for us now from Beijing. I know you're covering every angle of this. You know, just to start with COVID, China's shows little sign of giving up on its goal of zero COVID. What effect will that have on the Olympics?

DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And you have to wonder, Paula, if that's even sustainable to continue going forward. But you're right, they're not going to back down on that. And so that essentially means that they have created a bubble, which you can consider China in and of itself to be. And then a bubble within that, where we are in the capital, Beijing, and a bubble within that, which is the Olympic venues.

And so, it is going to be quite strict from the COVID perspective to get in and out of certain places. We're already seeing a lot of travel restrictions in place. Just to travel from, for example, Shanghai to here in Beijing, you have to go through multiple rounds of testing. You even have to be testing and self-monitored once you're here. And they make sure that you are doing just that. They check up on you. I've had that experience firsthand.

But as you mentioned, COVID, it may just be the lower end of the many issues facing this Olympics.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CULVER (voice-over): Two months before the start of the Winter Olympic Games, a new COVID variant is surfacing globally. But Beijing is hoping its strict COVID defenses will keep Omicron away. It won't be easy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do think it is cause for concern. This is the last thing that organizers would want. This is just not the big question mark that anyone would want at this moment.

CULVER: While the new variant has not yet been reported within mainland China, there are several confirmed cases in neighboring Hong Kong.

A foreign ministry spokesperson saying that the Omicron variant will pose some challenges, but they're confident the Winter Olympics will be held smoothly and successfully as scheduled.

China already has some of the toughest containment measures in place. Mass testing by the tens of millions. Strict digital contact tracing, and targeted community lockdowns, all part of our daily lives here.

(on camera): This is as close as we can get to some of the iconic Olympic structures from 2008, repurposed for the Winter Olympics but now, sealed off in a COVID bubble of sorts.

On top of the health concerns, growing calls for Olympic boycotts as Beijing continues to deny widespread allegations of human rights abuses.

The Women's Tennis Associations suspending tournaments within China, as it reiterates calls for Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai to be able to speak freely and openly. Peng briefly disappeared last month, after she accused a top Communist Party official of forcing her into sex.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we're now in the early stages of what I think is a full-scale ideological battle that ultimately could culminate in the United States and other western nations engaging in a full boycott of the Beijing Winter Games in 2022.

CULVER (on camera): But it seems here within China, most folks are unaware of the controversy surrounding these Olympic Games. Instead, you've got stores like this, filled with Olympic merchandise.

(voice-over): And folks here, shopping, seemingly filled with a lot of excitement and joy. Even national pride. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We are very excited. Beijing

just hosted the 2008 Olympic games, and now it's the Winter Games again. This is too exhilarating.

CULVER: Even with mounting uncertainties, much like 2008, China is expected to put on a spectacular show. The question is: will folks watching from the outside be wowed, or see it all as a fancy facade, covering up an increasingly authoritarian state?

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CULVER: And as we pointed out there, Paula, there are multiple of messy issues facing these Olympics. You have to wonder if all of those together are going to overshadow the games themselves.

NEWTON: Yes, and less than two months to go, as you pointed out, David. I appreciate you there, live for us in Beijing.

Now, want to thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Paula Newton. WORLD SPORT starts right after the break.

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