Charlotte Bellis

Charlotte Bellis is a New Zealand journalist who reports for Al Jazeera.[1]

Biography

Bellis was born in Christchurch, New Zealand and attended Selwyn House School.[2][3] She studied journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, and returned to New Zealand in 2009.[4]

She started her journalism career as a television reporter in Christchurch, and later presented Prime News and news programme 60 Minutes in New Zealand. She was made redundant by Prime News in February 2015[5] and took a job with ABC World News in New York the following month.[2][6] In 2017 she started working for Al Jazeera news network in their Doha, Qatar offices.[1][4]

From July 2021, she was stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan and reported on the fall of the country to the Taliban.[2][7][8] At the first press conference given by the Taliban in Kabul, Bellis was one of the three women present. Her asking about women's rights at that press conference drew international attention to herself.[9] Some days later, she was granted a personal interview with Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a Taliban leader and a member of their Cultural Commission. In the interview, New Zealand was praised for its recent humanitarian support, with NZ$3 million given to two international aid agencies for refugee support.[10]

On 29 August 2021 Charlotte told Radio New Zealand that she would remain in Afghanistan as long as she could.[11] On 14 October 2021, news media reported that she had left Afghanistan,[12] but on 20 October she was again seen reporting live from Kabul.

References
  1. Bertrand, Kelly (22 August 2021). ""I Had a Gun Pointed at Me Yesterday… But There's No Way I'm Leaving" – Journalist Charlotte Bellis on THAT Press Conference, Life in Afghanistan and Why Being a Kiwi Helps Her Feel Safe". Capsule NZ. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  2. Manch, Thomas (21 August 2021). "'There's a feeling of elation': New Zealand reporter Charlotte Bellis on life in Taliban-controlled Kabul". Stuff. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  3. "UNESCO and Old Girl Charlotte Bellis – Selwyn House School". Selwyn House School. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  4. MiNDFOOD (20 August 2021). "Who is the Kiwi journalist praised for frontline reporting from Afghanistan?". MINDFOOD. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  5. Nealon, Sarah (8 May 2015). "Eric Young responds to the rumours". Stuff. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  6. Hurley, Bevan (20 March 2015). "Being dropped by Prime leads to dream job". Stuff. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  7. Hogan, Finn (21 August 2021). "Kiwi journalist Charlotte Bellis won't evacuate Afghanistan despite Taliban takeover". Newshub. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  8. "Brave Kiwi journalist describes face-to-face moment with the Taliban". 9Now. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  9. Khalil, Shireen (19 August 2021). "Kiwi journalist for Al Jazeera only 1 of 3 women at Taliban conference". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  10. Small, Zane (23 August 2021). "Afghanistan: Taliban heaps praise on New Zealand over $3 million humanitarian donation". Newshub. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  11. "Charlotte Bellis: 'I'll stay in Afghanistan as long as I can'". Sunday Morning. Radio New Zealand. 29 August 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  12. Barclay, Chris (14 October 2021). "Charlotte Bellis leaves Afghanistan amid concerns for her safety". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
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