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Connect the World
Ukrainian Teams Dispose of Unexploded Munitions; Germany to Resume use of Coal-Fired Power Plants; Heat Waves Fueling Wildfires in the U.S, Western Europe; U.N. helping Ivorian Refugees Return Home; IATA Responds to Airline & Airport Disruptions; Sao Paulo Pride returns after Two-Year Pandemic Hiatus. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired June 20, 2022 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN, London. This is "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, a new Russian gain in the arduous battle for Ukraine's Eastern Donbas region and an ominous
warning by the Ukrainian President. That's the situation as Russia's war enters its fifth month this week.
Ukrainian Military Chief in the Luhansk region says that Russian forces have stepped up their strikes in and around the key city of
Sievierodonetsk. He says they've seized a nearby town one of several were fighting is ongoing. Well, as the conflict drags on, so does Russia's
blockade of Ukrainian ports. An EU official says that is a war crime. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEP BORRELL, EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF: One cannot imagine. One cannot imagine that millions of tons of wheat remain blocked in Ukraine while the
rest of the world people are suffering hunger. This is a real war crime. So I cannot imagine that this will last much longer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, in meantime, the EU this week, considering Ukraine's bid to become a candidate for membership. Ukrainian President warns Russia could
further turn up the heat in the days ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We should expect greater hostile activity from Russia, purposefully demonstratively this week exactly and
not only against Ukraine, but also against other European countries. We are preparing. We are ready. We warn partners.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Let's get you on the ground, shelling picking up in the northern Kharkiv region, our Senior International Correspondent; Sam Kiley connects
us from that area. Just explain where you are on and what is going on where you are at present, Sam?
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky join me from the Institute of Economics, the Economics Faculty of Kharkiv National
University. This was hit very badly, obviously, in the early stages of this war March 2nd when the center of town was subjected to the sort of
bombardment that the residence of Kharkiv and military commanders from here, all the way to Kyiv are now concerned, is going to be repeated
revisited on Kharkiv.
Because, according to their information, and we've seen it substantiated in terms of satellite imagery and drone footage, there is now a substantial
Russian build up, particularly to the north between in the relatively short distance between here, the second largest city and the Russian border 20 to
30 miles only to the Russian border, a substantial chunk of that border area is already under Russian control.
And then further east they're also according to Ukrainian military officials pushing a huge amount of men and materiel further into the battle
space there which could affect both Kharkiv and the operations that you've talked about already there in Sievierodonetsk further over in eastern
Ukraine.
So there was a sense really that Kharkiv was safe. It isn't. It is still being hit this morning. There was a number of incoming strikes throughout
the city. And indeed overnight, there were the long range of - missiles actually probably fired from Russian territory itself that also hit the
outskirts of the city part of a slow increase in the intensity of bombardment, nothing close to what we're seeing.
And that could resulted in this kind of destruction earlier on in this war, but definitely an increase in intensity and something that the authorities
here are preparing for that. They're digging in throughout the city, preparing a lot more defensive moving troops around of course that takes
energy military energy for the Ukrainians away from the already very intense fighting further to the east Becky.
ANDERSON: Sam Kiley is on the ground in Kharkiv. Russian forces may have retreated thank you, Sam from Ukraine's capital some weeks ago, shifting
their focus to the east but officials say they have left thousands of unexploded munitions in their wake. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz spoke to some of
the Ukrainian troops working to neutralize that threat. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In a wooded area on the outskirts of the Capital Ukrainian soldiers have set up a bomb disposal
site to gather and destroy unexploded ordinance. Leftovers of Russia's invasion dropped on neighborhoods and scattered across suburbs that can
kill and maim civilians long after retreat.
We find explosive remnants practically everywhere he says inside homes in people's yards we find a lot on the roads really everywhere. More than
43,000 explosive devices have all already been neutralized in the Kyiv region but there are still hundreds of square miles that need to be
surveyed and cleared.
[11:05:00]
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): Local officials say it is dangerous work. There is a saying only fools are not afraid. He says, we must always be careful, we
must realize that any step can be our last. During the disposal process, we witnessed those risks.
ABDELZAZIZ (on camera): So what's just happened is one of the unexploded ordinances started smoking, we were all told to pull back to here. They're
now going to check by drone and make a decision as to what they do next.
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): Once it's safe, the soldiers get back to work carefully placing the munitions in a dugout. They break into a nation court
and then move back to a firing position.
ABDELAZIZ (on camera): This is just a fraction of what needs to be destroyed and Ukrainian officials tell us it could take five to 10 years
for the country to clear hazards of war that lie in wait even after the guns fall silent. Salma Abdelaziz, CNN on the outskirts of Kyiv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, as this war in Ukraine rages on NATO expansion on the table in Brussels. NATO Secretary General hosting representatives from Finland
Sweden and Turkey as we speak he is trying to call Turkish opposition to the bids by Finland and Sweden to join that alliance. This is a tall order.
Turkey's President accusing both nations of offering safe havens for members of what is known as the PKK the Kurdistan Workers Party taking its
Western allies list the PKK as a terrorist group. Now inside Sweden the issue of joining NATO is complicated. Nina dos Santos looks at the mixed
reaction amongst the Kurdish diaspora to the membership bed and to Turkey's efforts to block it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This Kurdish community center in Gothenburg, locals are uneasy they've been dragged into Sweden's
NATO negotiations. Of course, we're scared says - we're caught in the middle says - and we're not being given a say.
Weeks after its application Sweden's plans to join NATO remain in limbo, thanks to Turkey, which claims that Kurdish separatists operate from the
shores. That's something Sweden denies.
Yet Ankara is still trying to extradite dozens of people, including members of Sweden's own parliament, most of whom have no links to Turkey at all,
like the men in this room born in Iran and Iraq.
Edwin is saying if you're a Kurd, and you want freedom, you're a terrorist says - that's not true. No matter where you come from, if you're a Kurd,
you're going to have problems with Turkey says.
PAUL LEVIN, STOCKHOLM UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE FOR TURKISH STUDIES: From the Turkish perspective, they're saying is look, Sweden, you want to join a
military alliance where we are one of the members we perceive of these groups as national security threats. They make the same demands on other
NATO member states, but they don't have the same leverage as they do now that Sweden is waiting to come in.
SANTOS (voice over): Sweden is home to an estimated 100,000 Kurds that's almost 1 percent of this country's entire population, and there's
widespread sympathy for their cause. That means that as Turkey continues to stall, Sweden's NATO bid there's a growing sense of indignation.
Swedes were almost split on NATO accession before the country decided to sign up. And among Kurds, there are differing views too. Anti NATO protest
- an Iraqi Kurd says that he's against NATO membership. Look at what NATO members did in my country he said? They completely destroyed it, but I'm
strongly affected by this he says, since I've come here as a prisoner of war.
RAGIB ZARAKOLU, TURKISH DISSIDENT: Here is my working room.
SANTOS (voice over): Turks fighting for Kurdish rights and Sweden are also stoking Ankara's ire.
ZARAKOLU: This is my Kurdish award they gave me when I was in the prison.
SANTOS (voice over): 74-year-old Turkish born Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Ragib Zarakolu is now a Swedish citizen, but he's fighting off extradition
to Turkey for his writing in defense of minorities there.
ZARAKOLU: I feel harassed. I'm a Swedish citizen. And how can Swedish government make a bargaining issue? I can't find the words to define the
strangeness, this absurdity.
SANTOS (voice over): Sweden decided to join NATO to make its population safer after Russia invaded Ukraine but for a part of its people the process
of accession is making them feel anything but secure. Nina Dos Santos CNN Gothenburg, Sweden.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:10:00]
ANDERSON: Well, Russia's war on Ukraine not only challenging Europe's efforts to remain unified and you saw that Nina's report, it's impacting
plans to transition to clean energy Germany's announced plans to resume use of coal fired power plants for a transitional period.
Now the goal is to reduce natural gas consumption ahead of winter after Russia cut exports. There's an enormous issue here of energy security for
Europe. The Economy Minister in Germany, also a member of the Green Party, by the way calls the situation serious.
He describes restarting coal fired plants as a bitter but essential move. Now Cuneyt Kazokoglu is here with me in the studio. He's Director of Energy
Economics and Energy Transition for FGE, Global Energy consultancy.
When you see a comment from the economy minister, a member of the Green Party suggesting that restarting coal fired power plants in Germany is a
bitter but essential move, you can just see how desperate things are at this point. I mean, very short term, the Germans have no choice. Correct?
CUNEYT KAZOKOGLU, DIRECTOR OF ENERGY ECONOMICS & ENERGY TRANSITION, FGE: Correct. So it's basically a desperate move quickly, I mean, the other
choices, cut down your own electricity demand accordingly. But that will be mean, huge amount of economic cost for Germany.
The issue with the coal is of course, I mean, there is no alternative for it. Gas accounts for 10 to 12 percent of German electricity generation,
nuclear accounts for another 10 to 12 percent.
And as you know that your guided policy from 2000 since 2011, the nuclear phase out means that by the end of this year, by December this year, the
last four gigawatts of nuclear power generation capacity will be shut down as well.
So they are reducing power generation capacity. Russia is reducing gas. So what's left they cannot ramp up the renewable capacity fast enough. What's
left is curbing the consumption and ramping up call.
ANDERSON: Yes, it was after Fukushima that that decision was made on the nuclear plants. And then we know the hindsight I know a lot of people agree
with you. It will conceive decision, but it's a decision nonetheless.
The legislation that Germany is using here is looking to bring back about 10 gigawatts, as I understand it, event of energy for idle coal fired power
plants for up to two years.
I wonder that doesn't it beg the question of whether that will increase Germany's dependence on coal fired power going forward?
KAZOKOGLU: For a certain period certainly, but the main issue here is like this energy policy in Germany is creating you know, cascading crisis and
collateral damage across the world as well.
Like Germany has been actually down with the coal so since 2013, Germany's coal demand has been called us for Parkinson has been decreasing. Only last
year 2021 was it the first time year on year increase in coal power generation since 2013. Because post COVID, electricity demand rebounded, et
cetera.
But now the problem is Germany is bringing coal back. Germany is actually buying half of its coal from Russia. Now they want to burn more coal. They
don't want to buy that coal from Russia.
What are they going to do they buy; they will buy the call from elsewhere. So from other countries, especially developing countries relying on coal
for their electricity consumption, that means higher coal prices, higher energy costs, and higher economic costs, basically.
So it's not just to Germany but they are creating a lot of collateral damage across the world, not only on the cost side, but also on the gas
side.
ANDERSON: I note today calls for Boris Johnson in the UK to pause his net zero policies after one auditor the Auditor General warns that costs risks
spiraling out of control, the impact of what is going on at present and the issue of energy insecurity will be quite swindling wonted on the energy
transition, at least in the short to medium term.
I think back to the COP meeting in Glasgow, which was only in November where so many promises were made. Let's be quite frank, a lot of those
promises made for 2050.
But the road to energy transition was wide open at that point. Are we moving backwards at this point, do you believe?
KAZOKOGLU: Let's put it this way, the terrain of energy transition has basically departed to and there's no stopping to it, we are moving to a
world where we are consuming more renewable electricity, cleaner energy et cetera.
But of course, the issues in the short term the pain will become so unbearable. Now with this board especially, we will certainly have a period
of pose or a period of slowdown in the implementing of all these policies.
And also in our emissions, I mean, one of the results of Germany's decision today will be they will emit a significant amount of more co2 emissions in
2022 in 2023, basically.
ANDERSON: But you say the train has left the station.
KAZOKOGLU: Absolutely. So this is - the train has left the station basically. And there's too much at stake. So we are going the direction has
said the drone has started.
ANDERSON: What do you make of the Biden Administration's position with regard energy transition at this point?
[11:15:00]
KAZOKOGLU: They are facing absolutely the same problems. I mean, at this level of inflation, for example, cost of living prices $5 a gallon. And of
course, you have to make a choice between, especially with the politicians, you know, facing the elections in November, for example, it's all always a
tradeoff between Oh, am I going to win the elections? Am I going to present a bitter pill to the waters?
ANDERSON: Whether the Biden Administration likes it or not. And they don't like the idea that Joe Biden's trip to Saudi, many say, is ultimately all
about oil and leaning into the kingdom to try and persuade the Saudis to pump more oil effectively.
They say it's about energy. They say it's about regional security, which I understand it is, as well. But ultimately, there is a real oil story here,
isn't it? What do you believe the Saudis who are in a leadership position of OPEC plus, which of course, includes Russia? What do you believe their
position will be going forward?
KAZOKOGLU: Look, we have our own forecast with respect to the OPEC plus projection. And the issue with this is if you look at the back OPEC Plus's
production targets and what they have been producing during the last month, for example, they have been always remaining below their target levels.
So they have never been actually managing to ramp up their production to the target level. And we actually expect this to stay on there going
forward, not just because of Saudi but you know, other OPEC plus members, such as Libya, for example, such as, such as Iran, what about Iran, for
example, which was supposed to being out of production back.
So that that's not going to happen, probably not in the short term, so as will create this amount of supply shortage. Whereas we are still in a
period of demand rebound from the pandemic, despite the high prices, everybody will disagree with the sentiment maybe.
But despite the high prices, because a lot of the governments are at the moment actually mitigating the price impact by tax, reducing the taxes on
pump prices, you know, freezing the prices, et cetera.
Like in India, for example, gasoline demand has surpassed 800,000 barrels a day for the first time in May, which is an all-time high, because India has
been freezing the pump prices actually during the last month, so all that crude oil price surge hasn't been translated to the consumers yet, yet is
the important.
ANDERSON: That's important. That's an important point yet. Thank you, sir. It's good to have you on.
KAZOKOGLU: Thank you.
ANDERSON: All right, you're watching "Connect the World". I'm Becky Anderson. The war in Ukraine is impacting the UN's work to help refugees
around the world. Ahead of the show, we're going to speak to the UN High Commissioner about that as we mark World Refugee Day.
Plus, things could get worse for millions of people across India and Bangladesh after monsoon rains, because deadly flooding. We'll take a look
at our climate change is at play here making weather more extreme worldwide.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
ANDERSON: All right. Before the break we spoke about Germany's plan to fire up its coal plants once again trying to depend less on Russian natural gas
while at the same time working to obviously abandon coal fueled energy and its energy transition.
But it's not just Germany coal making a comeback in other parts of the world too. Despite everything we know about how burning coal is raising
global temperatures well this comes as extreme heat and floods hit parts of the U.S., Europe and Asia. Right now millions of people are affected by
deadly flooding across India and Bangladesh. Vedika Sud has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER (voice over): Trudging through flooded streets with whatever they can carry. Authority say millions of people in
Bangladesh in northeastern India have been affected by some of the worst flooding in the region in nearly two decades.
This man says our house got flooded with waist level of water. There is no way we can stay in a house. We're asking the government for relief and
help. And official in Bangladesh's Ministry of Disaster Management says homes into the worst affected areas.
The districts of Sylhet and Sunamganj are 80 to 90 percent underwater, highways look more like rivers, the rushing water times too fast and deep
for people traveling in smaller vehicles.
There are so many people marooned by the floods, both India and Bangladesh have activated their militaries to help rescue them. Soldiers are using
speed boats and rafts to access submerged areas and ferry the stranded dry land.
Many areas that are cut off are without power, and there is desperate need for food and drinking water. Transportation using anything other than a
boat is difficult. Flights have been suspended for three days at Bangladesh's - Money International Airport.
Railways are deloused and some hospitals are inundated with water like this one. Its ambulances parked outside with water up to the tires. Dozens of
people have died, some by lightning strikes and landslides in Bangladesh.
Others from perilous conditions brought on by the floodwaters. Officials say the situation could deteriorate even further with more rain in the
forecast. Vedika Sud CNN, New Delhi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well meantime heat waves across the U.S. and Western Europe have been fueling wildfires. This one near Atlantic City in the U.S. state of
New Jersey, more than doubled in size on Sunday scorching more than 800 hectares.
Firefighters have in about 40 percent contained it's reported. Well another wildfire in the southwestern State of Arizona has also ballooned in size
people there being told to consider evacuating the area in Europe, in Spain.
Firefighters are struggling to raging wildfires as the country sees its earliest extreme heat and decades. Just in the northwest province of
Zamora, more than 25,000 hectares have been scorched.
And it's not just Spain. Strong winds fanning the flames in Germany it forcing evacuations in villages near Berlin. Meteorologist Chad Myers joins
us now to help walk us through all of this from Asia to Europe to the U.S.
We are seeing what are excruciating and life threatening weather cycles at this point, just walk us through what you believe is going on here.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: So much rain in places that don't need it. And no rain drought and record heat in places that just need a cloud to
come in and drop a little bit of help. I mean, he talked about Bangladesh in northeast India; this is where they really got pounded over the weekend
some spots up 300 millimeters of rainfall and one report unofficial, 900 millimeters of rain just in three days. Now it's right on time this is
where the monsoon should be.
But we would like to spread this rain out just a little bit. That just didn't happen. And we take a look at the next 10 days it doesn't look like
it's going to happen again. Those white spots up there in northeast India, some of the higher elevations could pick up another 500 millimeters of rain
and a place that would love some rain here in parts of France.
It's not supposed to look like that. Now it's not supposed to look like a vineyard, but it's not supposed to look like that. 200 record highs monthly
record highs were set on Saturday.
That means it has never been hotter on any day of the month of June in all of these spots. That was France, now it's getting a little bit better. But
this is the earliest a 40 degree recorded history in mainland France the earliest in the season.
Gets a little bit better as I said, the wind begins to push a little bit of cool area and across parts of Northwestern Europe and the heat kind of
spreads off to the east.
[11:25:00]
MYERS: It's still going to be warm. But we're not going to be 40, we're not going to have heat index somewhere around 40 or 41 degrees. Berlin, you're
going to see high temperatures way above where you should be, but not as high as some spots here in America either.
But remember how early in the season, it's June 20. That's all it is. And we're still seeing this type of brutal record breaking heat in many places
across the world. One of my friends, climate scientist, Dr. Swain had this to say about what he thinks is going on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL SWAIN, CLIMATE SCIENTIST: A lot of the places where this extreme heat is occurring, that's co-occurring with very high humidity, so some of
the health impacts and the cooling demands associated with that key are further amplified.
Obviously, in the long run, the only solution is you know, is to bring carbon emissions to post zero and eventually halt global warming and
thereby halt big increase in extreme heat events.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MYERS: Extreme heat events, they can be extreme cold events. They can be extreme rain events, warmer air holds more water. More water being held in
by more hot air, you're going to see heavier rainfalls and more flash flooding like we showed you last week, where Yellowstone National Park got
completely, completely ignored and a half at least got destroyed by all of that flooding. Becky?
ANDERSON: It was good to have you Chad. You make a lot of sense. Thanks, Sir.
Ahead on the show, I'll speak to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. We're going to learn what he is doing in the Ivory Coast as we mark World
Refugee Day.
That more and a little later the triumphant joys of freedom and musical celebration honoring Juneteenth across the United States, stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: At least 200 Civilians are dead after an attack in the Oromia region of Ethiopia over the weekend. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission
says it was carried out by the Oromo Liberation Army that rebel group is blaming forces belonging to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for the massacre.
Larry Madowo joins me now live from Nairobi in neighboring Kenya. What do we know about this horrific incident?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky we know outrageous the little about this and this is part of the challenge of reporting on the story. Even
though this attack happened on Saturday we have not been able to verify a single image or video from the attack.
[11:30:00]
MADOWO: We do not have any video; we don't have or didn't hear a statement from the federal government of Ethiopia until this morning. And we don't
even know the exact death toll, I would just say could be in the region of 200, likely more.
So here's what we do know, this is connected to fighting between the Oromo Liberation Army and the Ethiopian federal forces. The OLA is designated as
a terrorist organization.
But Ethiopian government, and days before this attack happened, there had been some fighting between the Ethiopian army and this Oromo Liberation
Army. What we understand is that on Saturday, members of this rebel group attempted to cross this - and they were stopped by some residents,
including some armed residents. And that's when this happened. We understand hundreds of people were killed. The exact number like I said is
unknown. But there are people who are traumatized.
There are people whose entire lives have been essentially thrown upside down by this attack, many of them the members of the Amhara ethnic group
who were killed in this attack that is blamed both by the Oromo national government and by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, it's blamed, it's
blamed on the Oromo Liberation Army.
So it's a really devastating situation. In this part of the country, which has already seen so much conflict, the Oromo Liberation Army as a context
aligned itself with the Tigrayan fighters in the north of the country last year, and they were fighting against the Ethiopian government.
So there's been some conflict already between this rebel group and the Ethiopian government that this is really one of the worst attacks in recent
memory to have occurred in this part of Ethiopia.
ANDERSON: Yes, and you're making a very good point at the beginning of this report. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get information
and pictures out of the country, particularly out of that region at present.
Of course, I know that you'll be doing your best to try and reveal more about what's been going on. But it's so important to be reporting what we
know nonetheless, thank you very much indeed.
Well, let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now. And North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is reportedly
sending medicine prepared by his family to battle an outbreak of intestinal illness south of Pyongyang.
State media reported hundreds of families became sick. South Korea says the condition could be cholera or typhoid is ads pressure to North Korea's
healthcare system, which is already dealing with a COVID surge.
Well, people are lining up for COVID tests in Macau, mass testing underway after the gambling hub reported its first cases since October. The
government is urging non-essential businesses to close temporarily; casinos though are still open and alarmed by a deadly weekend attack on a temple in
Kabul.
The Indian government says it's granting more than 100 EVs, it's to members of the Sikh community and Taliban rules Afghanistan. And ISIS affiliate is
claiming responsibility for Saturday's attack in the Afghan capital that killed at least two people.
Well, you're watching "Connect the World", I'm Becky Anderson. It's just after half past four here out of London for you. Coming up, it's getaway
season, you'll need superpowers to avoid the travel hassle in many places a look at what the airline chiefs plan to do about that, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:35:00]
ANDERSON: Well, today is World Refugee Day. Designated as such by the United Nations it is meant to foster empathy and understanding the people
who have been forced to flee their homes. Well this year, the focus is on the right to seek safety.
Globally, the number of refugees continues to set records. At the end of 2021, the number of people forced to flee their homes was 89.3 million, and
that is up 8 percent from 2020.
Well, since the start of Russia's war on Ukraine, the number of people forcibly displaced in 2022 is more than 100 million globally, 100 million
globally topping last year's record.
My next guest traveled recently to Ukraine, and indeed to Afghanistan. But he's now in Ivory Coast. And that is where the UN has been organizing
transportation from Liberia to help Ivorian refugees return home.
Now tens of thousands of Ivorians fled two civil wars up until 2012 and political turmoil in 2020. A large portion have returned, but by the end of
this month, they will lose their refugee status with improved security in Ivory Coast.
Last year, the UN had recommended states hosting these people end their refugee status and facilitate their reparation reintegration help them get
permanent residency.
Well, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees tweeted this photo and said, "An historic moment". The Liberian authorities hand over to those of C'te
d'Ivoire, the birth certificates of Ivorian refugees born in Liberia, as they return home.
The greatest privilege of a High Commissioner for Refugees is to witness the end of exile. Well, that's Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, he joins me now live. And it's just so good for you to be talking about, you know, the one great part of your job is to
witness this sort of situation. Just tell us more about the significance of your trip to the Ivory Coast.
FILIPPO GRANDI, UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES: The significance, Becky, is that it is an exception. Unfortunately, it is an
exception, but I wanted to come here to Abuja where I am now, today on World Refugee days.
To say it's possible, if there is political will, if there is evasion of ending exile of citizens of one country, which means creating the
conditions for them to come back to the country, as was done by the Ivorian government by the Ivorian people, it happens.
And so this is a message to all those leaders, governments that are not doing that, that are not creating conditions that are not able or willing
to make peace and allow refugees to return. That's why that trigger 100 million goes up, year in year out. ANDERSON: Yes, the exception proves the
rule, as you suggest, just how as the war in Ukraine impacted the work of your agency, the UNHCR.
GRANDI: First of all, through an enormous amount of force displacement, the figure, and the two figures you're quoted are described exactly that there
were 89 million people displaced and refugees at the end of 2021.
And then, with the onset of the war in Ukraine with the Russian invasion, the flight of refugees, the enormous internal displacement, the figure has
gone over 100 million.
But then you have the other aspect that has been very much discussed about the food insecurity, the inflation, energy challenges that have impacted so
many countries around the world as a consequence of the war in Ukraine.
And that have impacted especially vulnerable people, including in those countries, refugees and displaced people.
ANDERSON: It is unfortunate that the speed and scale of forced displacement and we've seen this of course, as you know in the last four months
specifically with Ukraine. But the speed and scale of this force displacement so often is outpacing solutions.
[11:40:00]
ANDERSON: You talk about the sort of impact that Ukraine, just as a crisis in and of itself is having on your agency. And it does beg the question
whether we needed some new thinking, you know, whether it perhaps it's time to start rethinking a new global strategy on all of this, is it?
GRANDI: There's no doubt about that. I've read today in op-ed that the former presidents of Nigeria and Liberia have just signed. And they make
exactly this very point in describing the multiple crises we're in and the impact of the Ukraine war on Africa in particular.
And they make the point that unless there's a new dispensation, in terms of world governance, it will be very difficult to address some of those
problems of these problems that affect in particular, people and countries, in poorer continents, like Africa, for example.
The Security Council, which is the most important organ of the United Nations, responsible for peace and security, has been paralyzed for most of
the last few years, unable even to find unanimity in humanitarian in, in agreeing on humanitarian resolutions, not to mention political insecurity
once.
So unless that is addressed, I'm afraid, we'll see more crisis, more complex crisis, and my organization, among others will continue to pick up
the pieces of those failures.
ANDERSON: What is the biggest challenge facing your organization at this point? GRANDI: I think you've mentioned it, the lack of solutions. You
know, my organization is the High Commissioner for Refugees had the double mandate, ensuring the protection of those who flee, but also helping
governments find solutions to their missions for those displaced can only happen if there is that political will, leading to solutions.
That's what happened here in Cote d'Ivoire. That's why I came here to flag it is possible, it is not, it is not inevitable that we fail in making
peace. But it's very rare. Look at what's happening in Ethiopia, what's happening in nearby Sahel here in this country.
The country is already receiving refugees from Burkina Faso, a symptom of conflicts unresolved in that part of the world, and many other many other
places. So that's what that is, perhaps more than availability of resources, which is a challenge, more than security, which is a challenge
in many places. Lack of solutions is the biggest one.
ANDERSON: It's World Refugee Day. It's good to have you on, Sir, - of a better guest to join me on "Connect the World". And as you say, in a place
where you are able to at least bring us a positive story about as we say the exception of Ivory Coast proves the rule, I'm afraid let's all be more
aware today. Thank you, sir.
GRANDI: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Well, while the UNHCR says that the war in Ukraine maybe detracting from other projects, one of the group's Goodwill Ambassadors,
Ben Stiller is in Kyiv in Ukraine, the actor, calling for a collective global responsibility for protecting those forced to flee their homes.
Listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN STILLER, UNHCR GOODWILL AMBASSADOR: Hey, I'm Ben Stiller, and I'm here in Ukraine. I'm meeting people who have been impacted by the war and
hearing how it's changed their lives. War and violence are devastating people all over the world. Nobody chooses to flee their home. Seeking
safety is a right and it needs to be upheld for every person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: If you'd like to safely and securely help people in Ukraine who may be in need of food, water and shelter, they're in need of so much to be
honest, please go to cnn.com/impact.
There you will find several safe and secure ways that you can help. Well, summer travel season is here for many of us and many of us who are in the
northern hemisphere may want to get away.
Well the problem is that airlines and airports are struggling and that means delays and cancellations in the U.S. alone. More than 900 flights
were canceled on Sunday. EasyJet and UK says it's cutting 10 percent of its capacity from July until September in London. Heathrow and Gatwick airports
are asking airlines to reduce the number of flights. Airline chiefs meantime have gathered in Doha for what is the International Air Transport
Association meeting. It's that big get together. CNN's Richard Quest is there and he joins me live.
[11:45:00]
ANDERSON: It must be a very interesting meeting this one I know it's a regular for you, and rightly so. You get really inside the weeds of the
industry with all of the airline chiefs there, Richard, what are they telling you this year?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN EDITOR-AT-LARGE: I think the first thing is that they're just delighted that this sort of recovery is well and truly underway, when
people are traveling in much larger numbers. Now on the other side of that same coin, the disappointment is that the infrastructure just hasn't been
able to stand up to it.
The airlines say that they were pretty much ready. They had staffed up, they got things back to normal. And in most cases, we're good to go. But
the infrastructure, the security, the customs, the baggage handling, all the on the ground stuff was not. And this is because either they'd let
people go and hadn't brought them back in time, or maintenance hadn't been done a whole variety of issues.
One thing they all agree on here, it's not acceptable. But Becky, they also say, it's not going to get been much better over the summer. I spoke to
Willie Walsh, who's former Head of IAG, which has - at Iberia, and is now the Director General of IATA. And he says, look, it's bad, but it's not as
bad as people are making out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIE WALSH, DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION: There's thousands of airports around the world. So we pick on three
airports who I love picking on by the way. And you cannot double-in - into the mix who have had problems. But I've gone through all of these airports;
I've flown through Gatwick of low to Amsterdam, Heathrow Dublin. Yes, it is busier. But it's not like it's portrayed that it's chaos there every day of
the week. There are problems, the problems will be addressed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Willie Walsh enjoys the luxury in the sense of being the head of IATA, as opposed now to being an airline CEO. So he doesn't have to face
the wrath of those limited number of passengers who are affected - of Lufthansa told me it's not it's probably going to get worse before it gets
better. CEO after CEO has said there's really not a huge amount they can do now this cake is baked, they'll just try and make a little more palatable.
ANDERSON: Well, yes. And that's the question, isn't it? I mean, yes, that's it. It's all very well, for Willie Walsh to say what he's deal with it. And
it's not as bad as perhaps the media is, is making out.
This is the first time for many people; they've had an opportunity to travel after COVID. And those who, for example, are trying to take an
EasyJet or booked an EasyJet flight this summer, are being told that they may not make that flight that might that flight may not exist, because the
organization just hasn't got its act together, post COVID. And that's really hard for passengers to take, isn't it?
QUEST: It is - it is. But I think that I'm going to put the airline point of view here. The airline point of view is this. Two years ago, we were
nearly out of business in an existential crisis that shut the whole thing down.
We then went through the various delta and Omicron, which at different times required the airlines to be nearly shut down again, or restrictions
to be put in place. We have laid off stuff; we've had to bring them back. The airports have done exactly the same.
Now, the problem is they've opened up recovered too fast. They've let ambition get ahead of practicalities and realities. And that's the position
they find themselves in now.
So if I was the airline CEO, I'd be in exactly the same position saying you know, look, there's not much I can do about this. They should have prepared
better, but from the position they came from Becky, it was desperate.
ANDERSON: You're making a very good point and I'm sure that's a point that's being made in Doha, where Richard will be live from tonight. It's
the IATA conference taking place there.
Expect plenty of interviews from aviation's biggest players. And believe me; Richard will be putting the right questions to those players Squids
Means Business at 9 p.m. in London, 10 p.m. Berlin time at your workout.
What time it is, wherever you are watching in the world. Just ahead, a musical celebration of freedom attracts your All Star lineup look at the
festivities mark in Juneteenth across the United States that is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
ANDERSON: Yep, Earth Wind and Fire joining the celebrations across the holiday weekend in the United States commemorating Juneteenth, the marking
of the end of slavery in America.
On Sunday CNN hosted a special live concert. Juneteenth global celebration for freedom was at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and featured some of
the biggest names in music and entertainment who came together to salute freedom for African Americans. Well, Juneteenth isn't only black history,
its American history. CNN's Fredricka Whitfield shows us where it all began. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Juneteenth is a celebration that marks the end of slavery in the United States, also known as
Emancipation Day, many consider it to be the country's second Independence Day. It was on June 19, 1865.
That Union soldiers led by this man, General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas with orders to inform residents that the Civil War had
ended and to tell enslaved African Americans, they were finally free.
The message came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation. His order was difficult to enforce.
So many slaves didn't see freedom until the end of the war.
Many African Americans have marked the anniversary for years. But it was a woman from Texas named Opal Lee, who started a movement to make Juneteenth
a federal holiday.
Known as the grandmother of Juneteenth, the 95 year old campaigned on the issue for decades. She even held a two and a half mile March each year to
commemorate the two and a half years it took for slaves in Texas to learn they were free.
OPAL LEE, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Please, please continue. The kinds of things that you know we need to become one people fear. It's not a white
thing. It's not a black thing. It's an American thing.
WHITFIELD (voice over): In 1980, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth a state holiday. By 2019, 47 states and the District of Columbia
followed suit. Last year, President Joe Biden signed a law making Juneteenth a federal holiday, a dream come true for Lee and for so many
others.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNTIED STATES OF AMERICA: By making Juneteenth a federal holiday, all Americans can feel the power of this day and learn
from our history and celebrate progress and grapple with the distance we've come. But the distance we have to travel to.
WHITFIELD (voice over): A historical marker can be seen today in Galveston, Texas, at the site where General Granger and his troops set up their
headquarters announcing the end of slavery.
Today, Americans recognize Juneteenth with parties and gatherings, and the day is marked as a celebration of African American freedom and achievement.
LEE: Screaming from the house that unity is freedom. People have been taught to hate and if people have been taught to hate they can be taught to
love.
WHITFIELD (voice over): Fredricka Whitfield, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: You missed, what was an amazing concert. It is part of our special coverage marking Juneteenth. Viewers in Europe, Latin America and
North America can see Juneteenth a global celebration for freedom today at 1 pm in New York that is 6 pm here in London if that is the part of the
world where you are watching. Well tonight's parting shots for you.
[11:55:00]
ANDERSON: After a two year hiatus caused by the COVID pandemic pride events returned to the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil on Sunday, thousands turned
out for the city's 26th event.
June is pride month, when LGBTQ communities come together all over the world to celebrate the freedom to be themselves. It pays homage to New York
City's Stonewall uprising in June of 1969, which helped spark the modern Gay Rights Movement.
That's it from us. Just before five o'clock here in London, thank you for joining us from the team working with me here and those working with us
around the world. It's very good evening from London. "One World" with Zain Asher is up next. And we'll leave you with more, some more of those
Juneteenth celebrations.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:00]
END
