Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Gaza Ceasefire in Effect Between Israel & Islamic Jihad; Taiwan Foreign Minister Worries China May Start War; Petro Launches Ambitious Agenda on Drugs, Security in Colombia; Senate Passes Historic Climate, Health Care Bill; Looking at Climate Issues Over the Decades; Officials: 15M Ukrainians Will Need Mental Health Care. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired August 08, 2022 - 00:00   ET

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

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome, live from Studio Seven at the CNN center in Atlanta. I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company.

[00:00:35]

Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, a truce between Israel and Gaza militants after three days of fighting, dozens of Palestinians killed, and a trail of destruction.

From the front lines of the battlefield in Ukraine, to families ripped apart fleeing for their lives, we'll look at the often unseen and unspoken mental toll of war.

And a historic moment for Colombia, inaugurating its first leftist president.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Michael Holmes.

HOLMES: It is just after 7 a.m. in Gaza where a cease-fire between Israel and Islamic Jihad appears to be holding. That truce coming two days after a dramatic escalation in tensions began when Israel launched what it called a preemptive strike on Islamic Jihad targets.

Now before the cease-fire was announced on Sunday, Palestinian militants launched more rockets towards Jerusalem following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza overnight.

Israeli officials say a leader of Islamic Jihad's operations in southern Gaza was killed in an airstrike on a building in Rafa, close to the border with Egypt. He was the second militant commander killed in this Israeli operation.

Palestinian officials say at least 44 militants and civilians have been killed, including 15 children. One young girl rescued from the rubble after a strike in Gaza pleaded for an end to the violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEEN MATAR, INJURED IN GAZA (through translator): We don't want to keep going through this. Every year there are strikes, killings of children and injuries.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: U.S. President Joe Biden praised the cease-fire and thanked Egyptian and Qatari officials for helping broker it. Journalist Elliott Gotkine joins me now, live from Southern Israel to discuss.

Good to see you, Elliott. Israel obviously feels its objectives are achieved, but what are the chances of the cease-fire sticking?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Michael, it's sticking for now. I should say there were a couple of rockets fired from the Gaza strip in the minutes after the cease-fire was meant to come into effect at 11:30 p.m. local time.

But pretty much since midnight, so for the past seven hours or so, the cease-fire has been holding. And I think we can expect that this current round of fighting is over for now.

In other words we expect the cease-fire to be held. It was broken, as you say, like Egyptian and Qatari officials, who were thanked, not just by the U.S. but also by the Israelis and by the Palestinians, as well.

And as you say, Israel believes its objectives have been achieved, by taking out the top two commanders of military commanders of Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, and they have taken out many other targets, be it rocket launchers, or workshops, or tunnels and the like.

And they've also -- of course the main objective was to in-store security and calm to the community surrounding the Gaza Strip, which is also coming under threat by Islamic Jihad.

From the militants' perspective, they can perhaps point to the fact that they've shown that they've got a very plentiful arsenal of rockets, that they can reach to Tel Aviv.

Sirens in my area in Tel Aviv went off yesterday evening. For the first time, I had to go down to the bomb shelter. They've shown their rockets can reach to Tel Aviv and towards Jerusalem, as well.

And that yes, there is a cease-fire, but they are still standing. So I can suppose we can see this as a cease-fire, but only one for now, Michael.

HOLMES: Yes, and you make a good point. I mean, the latest violence is over, but you know, is this just part of the usual cycle, you know. And the next rinse and repeat event is sadly not -- likely not far away?

GOTKINE; I think that's right, Michael. No one seriously expects this to be the end of hostilities between Israel and the militants of the Gaza Strip. Islamic Jihad, of course, being the smaller of the two main ones, the other one being Hamas.

And I suppose the sobering thought for Israelis or analysts is that, for all of the rockets that we saw being fired by Islamic Jihad, more than 1,000 in just over two days of fighting, it is much smaller and has much lesser capabilities than Hamas, which of course, controls the Gaza Strip.

And even those capabilities are probably dwarfed by those of Iran's main proxy, Hezbollah in Lebanon. So when we talk about a ceasefire happening now and for however long that will last, whether it's weeks, months, or years, or whatever, no one seriously expects this to be the end of the hostilities between Israel and the militants of the Gaza Strip.

And I suppose until such time, as there is some kind of comprehensive agreement, which no one expects to happen anytime soon, then this will just continue -- Michael.

HOLMES: Yes, yes. It is a bloody cycle. Elliott Gotkine, good have you there. Thanks, Elliott.

All right. Ukraine is accusing Russia of nuclear terror after explosions shook Europe's largest nuclear power plant for a second day in a row. Ukraine says Russian shells damaged three radiation detectors at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

It came just a day after an attack that prompted warnings of a nuclear disaster from the U.N.'s watchdog. Russia blames Ukraine for the strikes but concedes concerns about the plant have been growing since Russian forces seized the area in March.

All of this as Ukraine's president responds to reports that officials in occupied areas might hold referendums on joining Russia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): We will not give up anything of ours, and if the occupiers follow the path of these pseudo-referendums, they will close for themselves any possibility of negotiations with Ukraine and the free world, which the Russian side will definitely need in a certain moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Meanwhile, Ukraine's grain exports are picking up some steam. On Sunday, a cargo ship entered a Ukrainian port for the first time since the invasion.

Another four ships left Ukraine Sunday carrying more than 160,000 metric tons of food.

Now some of the war's most brutal fighting has, of course, centered on Ukraine's Eastern region, the Donbas region. Russian forces have made halting gains, but they've been slowed by heavily dug in Ukrainian troops.

CNN's Nic Robertson went to the frontlines to speak with soldiers holding Ukraine's defense.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Deep in the woods of Ukraine's Eastern front, troops dig in. Trenches here are lifesavers.

OLEG, UKRAINIAN FIGHTER: We are but here where fighting is fierce. We took our portion of shelling here, and some are -- some were injured.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): The faces of the troops here tell a story that words cannot. This is tough duty. Five days at the front, ten days resting here nearby.

They joke about living like hobbits, underground, away from the shelling.

When Ukrainian officials talk about the HIMARS rocket system and the N-777 artillery helping hold their line. These are the lines they're talking about. And these are the soldiers with the hard fight to make sure it does hold.

He says, "We hold the line. It's humid. It rains. Shells hit us all the time. But we hold the defense. There is no other way."

"Of course, the shelling gets on your mind," Artem (ph) tells me, his buddy Vitaly (ph) adding, "But you get used to it." Both set on victory, they say.

To get to the very front line, we cross fields, littered with Russian rockets.

ROBERTSON: All these trees here, they're telling us, were taken out by shelling.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Conditions here, very spartan. The Russians less than a mile away. Days here when troops can't leave their bunkers. Russia outguns them five times.

ROBERTSON: This is where the next phase of the war will be won or lost in trenches like this, that stretch for hundreds of miles. Troops like this holding the line against the possible Russian advance.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): "We manage," the officer says. "We've come here to stop the enemy. We just take it, sit it out, and keep on fighting."

An incoming shell punctures his thought. "More weapons, more armor," he says, "and it could be us advancing."

Nic Robertson, CNN, at Ukraine's Eastern front.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Large-scale Chinese military drills continue to raise tensions between the U.S. and Taiwan. Beijing rolling out the drills last Thursday near Taiwan after promising Taipei would pay a price for hosting the U.S. House speaker, Nancy Pelosi. [00:10:00]

She made the visit despite warnings from mainland China, which considers the self-governing island part of its territory.

On Sunday, Taiwan's premier again condemned the drills calling them arrogant, and a threat to regional peace and stability. Taiwan's foreign minister says

premier again condemned the drills premier again condemned the drills calling them arrogant and a threat to regional peace and stability.

Taiwan's foreign minister says he's concerned Beijing might launch a war against the island. He spoke to CNN's Will Ripley a short time ago about his fears.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH WU, TAIWAN FOREIGN MINISTER: China has always been attacking Taiwan, for years. And it's getting more serious in the last few years. And it's always been that way. Whether Speaker Pelosi visits Taiwan or not, the Chinese military threat against Taiwan has always been there, and that is the fact that we need to deal with.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Has Taiwan's democratic system ever been in more danger than it is today?

WU: I can tell you that Taiwan is more resilient than before. Look at Taiwan these days. China is trying to impose trade sanctions against Taiwan, trying to attack Taiwan from military or non-military aspects. The life goes on here in Taiwan. And Taiwan shows its resilience.

RIPLEY: Should people in Taiwan be more worried than they are about China?

WU: Well, what I can say is that the people here in Taiwan may worry. If you ask me, I worry, a little bit.

RIPLEY: What do you worry about?

WU: I worry that China may really launch a war against Taiwan, but what it is doing right now is trying to scare us. And the best way to deal with it, to show to China that we are not scared.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Taiwan's foreign minister speaking there with CNN's Will Ripley.

Well, joining me now is CNN's Blake Essig, who is also in Taipei. Good to see you, Blake. So speak more about the impact of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and what we perhaps learned from China's exercises.

BLAKE ESSIG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, look, Michael, after four days of live-fire drills surrounding Taiwan, China's military exercises held a response of House speaker Nancy Pelosi's surprise visit to the island are believed to be over, although CNN hasn't been able to confirm that.

Now during these four days of military exercises, Taiwan's defense ministry describes what they saw as a simulated attack against the mainland of Taiwan and Taiwan's naval vessels.

The military says China's military alleges Taiwan has engaged in cyberattacks, assembled a large number of fighter jets and warships daily round Taiwan, with many entering their air defense identification zone, and some crossing the Taiwan Strait median line.

Beijing also launched nearly a dozen ballistic missiles. Some flew over Taiwan for the first time ever, and several landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone.

But according to military experts, perhaps the key takeaway here from what we saw over the past several days is that China demonstrated that a blockade of Taiwan doesn't require constant naval presence offshore, but rather shipping and air traffic can be blocked simply by the threat of missiles.

Now in response to the drills, Taiwan's premier, as you mentioned, accused China of disrupting regional peace and stability by flexing its military muscle.

And speaking with CNN earlier today, as you mentioned, Taiwan's foreign ministry said that China's determined to expand its territory and influence, and in this case use Nancy Pelosi's visit as an excuse to act aggressively towards Taiwan.

He went on to say that Taiwan is very resilient, and that despite the constant threats from China, that the people here in Taiwan and Taiwan's democracy continues to show strength -- Michael.

HOLMES: I wanted to get a sense from you, too. You're there in Taipei. How have people there in Taiwan, the ordinary citizens, reacted to these drills?

RIPLEY: Well, Michael, I mean, I think it's worth noting here that there's been a big difference between how the international community has reacted to China's recent drills, compared to how it's being felt here in Taiwan by the people that live here.

While some experts internationally have viewed this as a dress rehearsal for more from China, the mood here has been calm. People have been going about their daily lives today. Cars on the streets -- and all weekend, cars on the road, people outside this morning going for runs. The shopping districts have been busy. And all weekend there were long lines outside of restaurants.

It just doesn't seem like people here are overly concerned about a potential Chinese attack, and perhaps that's because they've been living under this constant threat from China for the past seven decades -- Michael.

RIPLEY: All right, Blake. Thanks for that. Appreciate that. Blake Essig there in Taipei for us. And an historic moment for Colombia as the country inaugurates its

first leftist president. Coming, a look -- coming up, a look at the challenges facing Gustavo Petro as he launches an ambitious agenda to transform Colombia.

[00:15:03]

Plus, President Biden and U.S. Democrats poised for a major legislative win which would include the largest climate investment in U.S. history. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: An historic moment there for Colombia as Gustavo Petro is officially sworn in as the country's first ever leftist president. The presidential sash placed on the 62-year-old in the nation's capital on Sunday.

In another history-making achievement, his running mate, Francia Marquez, became the first Afro-Colombian to hold executive powers.

Now Gustavo Petro is launching an ambitious agenda as Colombia's new president, aiming to revitalize the country and put a stop to rising violence there.

Stefano Pozzebon has more from Bogota.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: The swearing in ceremony on Sunday was delayed several minutes because the new president, Gustavo Petro, had demanded that the sword of South America's independence hero, Simon Bolivar, was brought to him onstage to signify a new beginning for his country. A sign that things might be different from now on.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Gustavo Petro says he's on a mission to transform Colombia.

GUSTAVO PETRO, COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Today starts our second opportunity. it is time for change.

POZZEBON (voice-over): The new president will be tackling tough challenges. Six years after an historic treaty promised to bring peace to this country, its implementation has been elusive, and the security situation is deteriorating.

Hundreds of social leaders have been assassinated, some of them former fighters who abandoned their own struggle as part of that treaty, like the husband of Luz Marina Giraldo, a former guerrilla, who fought in the jungle with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. She's now a politician, parts of a political party the rebels founded after putting down their weapons.

She urges the new president, himself a former rebel, to do more to reduce political violence and protect former fighters.

LUZ MARINA GIRALDO, COLOMBIAN POLITICIAN AND FORMER FARC FIGHTER (through translator): I have been in two campaigns. The first one in 2019, they killed my husband. Now -- and this is the first time I'm saying it -- my brother has this disappeared. He vanished in February a few weeks before the election, and to this date, we know nothing of him.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Giraldo says the attacks came from criminal groups who opposed the peace deal and intend to scare her away from political activity.

Last year, the Colombian army arrested a rebel who reneged the agreement and returned to armed struggle, accusing him of being the mastermind behind the plot to kill Giraldo's husband.

[00:20:00]

To tackle security, Petro has appointed a civilian anti-corruption lawyer as defense minister, but the new president has said that halting the war on drugs is key to ending the violence.

Colombia is one of the largest producers of narcotics in the world, and for 30 years has waged a brutal campaign against the cartels. A campaign financed in part by the United States to little effect.

On Friday, a bill was presented to Congress to legalize recreational marijuana. The bill's supporter says it's a possible new step towards ending the war on shrugs.

GUSTAVO BOLIVAR, COLOMBIAN SENATOR (through translator): Prohibitionism has been a resounding defeat. There are more drugs around now than when Pablo Escobar was alive. More consumers, more production, despite thousands of deaths. The only way to guarantee peace to this country is regulation, not just of marijuana, but of all drugs.

POZZEBON (voice-over): To regulate the consumption of hard drugs like cocaine, Colombia would have to renegotiate international treaties. But for a country that is closely associated with narcotics, some experts say even legalizing marijuana could be a first move in changing Colombia's image.

LUIS MERCHAN, CEO, FIORA GROWTH: I've been in business for a number of decades now, and when somebody learns that I'm from Colombia, you always get that "Ahh," that weird look about -- about the war on drugs. For that to turn into actually a source of pride, yes I want to go to Colombia, because I want to experience the planet there.

POZZEBON: The mounting inflation represents another test for the new president. Gustavo Petro, he's asking his fellow Colombians to be patient before his reforms come into effect. But he's adamant that in four years' time, it will be a new Colombia. For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: A major boost for U.S. President Biden's economic agenda with Senate Democrats finally passing their sweeping climate, healthcare, and tax bill. It took months of negotiations and an exhaustive all- nighter of whirlwind votes to reach a 50/50 split along party lines. Vice President Kamala Harris then cast the deciding vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The yeas are 50. The nays are 50. The Senate being equally divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative, and the bill, as amended, is passed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: President Biden is now urging the House to pass the bill as soon as possible so he can then sign it into law.

The so-called Inflation Reduction Act represents the largest climate investment in U.S. history, almost $370 billion to combat climate change.

It also makes major changes to health policies, such as giving Medicare the power to negotiate some, not all, but some drug prices. Out-of-pocket Medicare costs will be capped at $2,000, and healthcare subsidies will be expanded by three years.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says all Americans will benefit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): This bill will kickstart the era of affordable clean energy in America. It's a game-changer. It's a turning point, and it's been a long time incoming.

To Americans who have lost faith that Congress can do big things, this bill is for you. To seniors who faced the indignity of rationing medications or skipping them altogether, this bill is for you. And, to the tens of millions of young Americans who have spent years marching, rallying, demanding that Congress act on climate change, this bill is for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now I spoke with Dr. Leah Stokes, an associate professor of environmental politics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I asked her about the biggest impact the built will have in terms of climate action.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEAH STOKES, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA: Well, the bill is projected to cut carbon production by 40 percent by 2030, and that's important, because scientists have been saying, and President Biden has pledged, that we need to cut carbon pollution in the half by 2030. So this bill will get us 80 percent of the way to that really important goal.

HOLMES: I think it's worth noting, because I was doing some math, but climate provisions funding in the act are about 4 percent of the U.S. defense budget. That sort of put things into perspective. The question on climate change mitigation is inevitably is it enough? What more would you like to have seen done?

STOKES: Look, I totally agree with you. We need more investments on clean energy and climate action. This is an absolutely historic move in the right direction, but it is really only a start.

There were other parts of the bill that didn't make it through, such as a Civilian Climate Corps that the Sunrise Movement has championed, and other kinds of investments that we really need to see.

[00:25:10]

And really just higher levels of spending across the board so that we really can be moving fast enough on clear energy and climate action.

HOLMES: Under the Trump administration, climate policy, of course, moved backwards. Pulling out of the Paris Accords, loosening environmental regulations, and on and on. And that likely gave other big polluters nations an excuse to drag their feet. Do you think this bill has the chance of spurring other nations forward, or not?

STOKES: Absolutely, and not just because of international climate negotiations. The other thing the bill is going to do is rapidly scale up clean energy manufacturing in the United States. That's not just good for jobs here in this country, and for cleaning up the air, as well. It's also good for innovation.

Because what happens is when we make lots of electric vehicles, or heat pumps, or solar panels, we're going to learn how to make them cheaper, and that means the cost is going to fall.

And that isn't just going to matter for the United States. It's actually going to matter for the whole planet.

So this investment is really good news in terms of making global progress on climate change.

HOLMES: Yes. And as you point out, among other things, it offers these tax incentives to ramp up wind, solar, thermal, as well, batteries, other clean energies, over the next decade. How important is that factor? And how do you see the pace of the move overall towards renewables, which are not just good for the environment, but they make better economic sense, as well?

STOKES: Yes, clean energy is also cheap energy. It turns out that 41 percent of inflation is actually driven by high fossil fuel prices, and people know that. They know how much it costs to fill up their car right now. And so what this bill is going to do is help people get access to

electric vehicles, which only cost a dollar a gallon to run. It's going to help them put a heat pump in their home, which is an amazing electronic device that both heats and cools your home, and it saves you lots of money.

In fact, one analysis has said that, if people adopt all the clean- energy technologies that this bill makes more available, more affordable, they'll actually save $1,800 a year on their electricity bills, on their energy bills. So that's just really great news.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And do stick around for next hour. You'll see the full interview with climate policy expert Leah Stokes.

Now, the U.S., of course, has experienced catastrophic fires and drought conditions this past year. Much of the world has, really.

Let's bring in CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri for more. We're already seeing the impacts of climate change. Is this going to help?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, it certainly -- it certainly can only go only up from here. You take a look at how things have played out in recent years across the U.S. in particular.

We know these multibillion-dollar events are kind of expedited, as far as it's the coverage of them and the number of them. On average, you look at the numbers from 1980 to 2021 in the U.S., you'd have about eight multi-billion-dollar severe weather events that would take place. We've had nine so far in the first eight months of the year. Eight of them related to severe storms, and of course, droughts, and not counting the most recent one, which most certainly will be a severe multi-billion-dollar event, which was the Kentucky flooding.

So tabulating officially nine, but likely going to become ten here, again, just in the first eight months of the year.

But you take a look. When it comes to the global emissions of CO2, really important to note, the United States, it counts for about 20 percent of those global emissions of CO2, while it holds about 4 percent of the world's population.

China comes in at a distant second, at 11 percent CO2 emissions. Russia falls behind. They're in third. You'll notice where Brazil and Indonesia end up, as well, as far as fourth and fifth.

But if you look at the numbers, since the year 2000, 17 of the 18 warmest years on our planet have all been recorded since the year 2000. Now, if you just go back the past seven summers, seven years, and the seven warmest years on record have all occurred in the past seven seasons.

So again, it kind of speaks to what's happened around the world just in recent years. It's really expedited the issue at hand here. And then you look at these temperatures. We know since the 1980s, a noticeable incline here as far as world increase in temperatures. A global increase of 1.16 degrees Celsius in 2021.

But notice, from 2010 to 2020, that is really when we saw the most intense incline in extreme heat events and also global temperature increase.

And we know heat waves are about five times more likely to occur moving forward, given the temperature increase we've seen around the world right now.

But with a two-degree temperature increase, heat waves will be about 14 times more likely to occur. This is according to a report from the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change. We saw a lot of data to support what's been happening, and of course, a lot of it seems to be verified recently across the United States, as well.

HOLMES: Yes, absolutely. Pedram, thanks for that. Pedram Javaheri.

Now, we are monitoring volcanic activity in Iceland. Have a look at these nighttime images. They're incredible.

And you see an adventurous tourist there getting close to streams of lava and molten rock.

[00:30:06]

The volcano is located about 20 miles from Iceland's capital, Reykjavik. The government officials say that a fissure broke open on Wednesday after several days of intense seismic activity.

They say the fissure is relatively small but warned of dangerous gases and fast flow -- fast-moving lava flows. Can't stop looking at that.

Quick break. When we come back, as the fighting escalates in Ukraine, so too does the risk of mental health problems from repeated trauma. I'll speak with a psychologist about the war's long-lasting effects. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Hard to believe, but it's been nearly six months since Russia invaded Ukraine, and in that time, the country, of course, has been radically changed. Buildings, infrastructure, in some cases, entire towns completely wiped out.

The U.N. says more than 6 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the war began. Millions more internally displaced, and more than 5,300 civilians have been killed in the fighting.

Now, Ukrainian health officials fear another crisis is looming. The long-term mental health impact of the war, not just on soldiers, but the many innocent men, women, and children caught up in this terrible conflict.

And the big concern comes with how to provide care for all of those suffering from mental health disorders. Joining me now is Camilo Garcia, a psychologist with Medicins Sans

Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders.

It's great to have you with us. It's a very important issue. We expect soldiers and journalists and so on to be traumatized by war. but for ordinary civilians caught in the middle, it is not what they signed up for. What are the impacts on those people?

CAMILO GARCIA, PSYCHOLOGIST, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: Yes. Well, thank you for the interest on the subject. And yes, definitely, civilians are the ones struggling, as well, with anxiety problems, with acute stress, with overwhelming feelings, with uncertainty of what will happen with their properties, with the country, et cetera. So yes, for the civilians, it has been a constant struggle and an ongoing struggle, still.

HOLMES: Ukraine's health ministry estimates that 15 million people -- that's nearly a third of the population -- are likely to require mental health care. Just how widespread is the problem in Ukraine? That's a lot of people.

GARCIA: Yes. And I would say that it's a little bit beyond that. As we have all been impacted outside of the country, inside of the country, I would say, every single person has been impacted by this and has mental health needs, somehow.

[00:35:15]

Definitely, the more vulnerable people, the ones that have decided to stay in these areas, people with disabilities, people with economic -- economic constraints to move. So, at some point, everyone has been impacted, but the bigger impact is for the more vulnerable ones.

HOLMES: Yes. So --

GARCIA: Yes.

HOLMES: Sorry. So how do you -- I'm just -- I'm curious, with those numbers, how do you even begin to help people caught in the middle who've suffered that loss, who've seen and experienced unspeakable things? In a clinical sense, where do you start?

GARCIA: Well, we start by being with them at the beginning. You know, like, just offering face-to-face consultations, listening to them, validating them, and definitely, showing that this mental health work is relevant, is important.

Because culturally, there's a -- there's a way to cope with problems, which is basically swallowing your feelings, not being able to speak about your problems.

So definitely, this face-to-face approach have been really relevant. And definitely, all the other helps, like hotlines, like mobile clinics, in general, always help for the people to be able to reach the service and to see the importance and the relevance of taking care now of their mental health. Not just for their ongoing stressors, but also for what might develop in the coming months.

HOLMES: That -- that was going to be my next question, actually. I mean, when this war ends, the mental health impacts do not necessarily end. Right? What sort of resources are needed going forward?

GARCIA: Well, we are expecting that unmet mental health needs might develop into depression, into anxiety disorders, into post-traumatic distress disorders. This will definitely impact on the life of every single person, of all ages, if these needs are not addressed now and within the -- the continuance of the conflict.

So yes, we are expecting that this could develop into worse -- worse conditions. That's why we have to act now, to prevent these problems from developing into worse. And definitely, investing and seeding some sort of hope, resilience, and empowerment for the people to be able to continue and rebuild, somehow.

HOLMES: Another important issue. We actually discussed this on the program a couple of weeks ago. In Ukraine, often, the mental health professionals themselves are suffering trauma, because they lived there amongst it. How difficult is it to treat patients when the person doing the treating is themselves traumatized by war?

GARCIA: As similar as many Ukrainians have been impacted and traumatized, there's a lot of people also showing big resilience. And I can be not more than proud of the team that we work with, because yes, in Kharkiv, especially, where we are, we are receiving shellings every day. And we are sending and we are going with our teams to these Kharkiv villages to work with how to say stay, how to stay healthy, to be able to cope with this; how to support the decision of the people who decide to stay in a healthy way.

But at the same time, they come back home, and they experience the same. I could say also that, at least for the -- for the psychological team, it's also, like, you work for someone else, and at the same time, you work for yourself. So that has an impact.

But we have a great team of doctors, admins, logisticians (ph), that have the same, and we are trying also to support them, to provide them with self-care, and basically, to motivate their resilience and their energy to continue.

HOLMES: Well, you're doing great work and important work. And I can only imagine, you know, what you're -- what the stories you are hearing.

Camilo Garcia in Kharkiv, in Ukraine, appreciate it. Thank you so much.

GARCIA: Thank you, too.

HOLMES: And to learn more about how you might be able to help humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, go to CNN.com/impact.

CNN NEWSROOM continues after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:42:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two, one, zero.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: A seemingly successful launch of India's new rocket over the weekend. But the mission ultimately failed, unfortunately.

Officials say the two satellites the rocket was carrying were placed in the wrong orbit, due to a sensor issue. They've already come down and are no longer usable.

Researchers investigating what happened.

It is peak season at a popular resort known as China's Hawaii. Sanya, a city on the Hainan Island, is known for its beaches. But it's also undergoing a sever COVID-19 outbreak.

Some 80,000 tourists are now under lockdown. Under new rules, public transportation was suspended, and movements inside the city have been restricted.

Stranded tourists are required to stay for seven days and clear five COVID-19 tests before being allowed to leave.

A long-awaited return for some West African artifacts. London's Horniman Museum says it will give back 72 objects, including brass planks known as the Benin bronzes, to Nigeria.

The museum says they were forcibly removed from Nigeria's Benin City during Britain's military incursion 125 years ago. The Horniman said it was moral and appropriate to return the pieces, since they were taken by force.

Museum officials in Nigeria say they welcome the decision.

Thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram, @HolmesCNN. WORLD SPORT up next. I'll see you in about 15 minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:45:27]

(WORLD SPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:00:00]