SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:
The French news agency Agence France-Presse, or AFP, says its journalists in Gaza are among the people there at risk of starving to death. We've reported on crowds fighting for limited food supplies, Israeli military fire near food distribution sites and thieves stealing what little food there is. Hunger is widespread. Here's AFP's global news director, Phil Chetwynd, describing conditions for his reporters, photographers and videographers.
PHIL CHETWYND: They just feel so weak. You know, they talk about constant headaches, constant dizziness. So just the ability physically to get to a story is diminished.
PFEIFFER: So AFP is trying to get its journalists out.
CHETWYND: What we've heard in the last few days from some of them is simply a message of alarm, I would say. There is this daily scramble to try to get enough food for the family, for themselves and also for their relatives, with, obviously, prices that have just gone through the roof and also just very little available food. So we were talking to one of our correspondents, who's lost perhaps, you know, 30 to 40 pounds just in the last few months as access to food has disappeared.
PFEIFFER: Yeah, that rings very true to NPR's experience. We have a producer in Gaza named Anas Baba. He told us he's lost a huge percentage of his body weight because he can't find basics like flour, cooking oil, lentils. And as you said, Phil, it's not just that supply is limited, but if you can find it, it can be too expensive to buy.
CHETWYND: That's right. I mean, we are able to get money to our staff and so on, but there are huge commissions that they pay just to get access to cash. And then there is literally the battle to find food. So even if it is available at an exorbitant price - $80, $90 for a kilo of sugar, for example - it's still a real battle to find every day.
PFEIFFER: You mention that you evacuated all your staff about a year ago. It's the freelancers left behind. Is there a reason they stayed?
CHETWYND: You know, these are people who wanted to stay and to carry on doing the story, in some of the cases, not really knowing how this situation would develop over time. We took out at the time, a year and a half ago, everyone who wanted to come with us, and certainly some of those people preferred to stay.
PFEIFFER: And have they told you if now they want to leave, but getting them out is much more difficult than it would have been a year ago?
CHETWYND: Yes. I think they are desperate to get out now, and so that is something we are pushing. But at the moment, all access is blocked and we're not making much progress.
PFEIFFER: To get your people out, do you need Israel's permission?
CHETWYND: We would need Israel's permission. But we'll also need support from other governments to help us as well to get them out.
PFEIFFER: And have you formally asked Israel and those other governments to help you get them out? And if so, what have you heard back?
CHETWYND: It's been an ongoing process, really, over the last months of constant touch with both the Israeli authorities and also foreign governments. But of course, you know, the situation of our journalists also reflects the wider humanitarian situation in Gaza. So of course, it does feel strange to be singling out journalists, but it's incredibly important to have these independent witnesses on the ground to what is going on.
PFEIFFER: How optimistic are you that your efforts to get your people out will be successful?
CHETWYND: Well, it's tough because at this point, with the state of global politics, it doesn't seem there are many people who wish to speak up for journalists. You know, one of the things that has been very shocking over the last 18 months is there really has been no diplomatic pressure on Israel to open up Gaza and to let independent journalists in. And I think that's extremely worrying. You know, it is absolutely vital for the coverage of major stories around the world, for the state of democracy, for the state of press freedom around the world. And so I think there's a very, very dangerous precedent being set here which we need to push back against.
PFEIFFER: If you do get your journalists out but no more journalists are allowed in, what media presence does that leave in Gaza?
CHETWYND: When we took our staff team out - and they all felt it. These are people who've covered Gaza for their whole lives. You know, we have photographers who've won the top awards in photojournalism. So for them to leave was extremely difficult. And, you know, some of them would love to get back in now because it is their story. It's where they're from, and they want to document what's happening. But at the same time, we have to understand that they are living this with their families. And obviously, their biggest, biggest responsibility is to protect their families and to get their families out. And, you know, we have to respect that. But obviously, the impact on press freedom, the impact on covering the story, will be hit.
PFEIFFER: That is AFP's global news director, Phil Chetwynd. Phil, thank you for making time.
CHETWYND: Thank you.
PFEIFFER: Israel's government did not respond to a request for comment about the AFP's request to allow its journalists to leave Gaza. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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