17 Jun 2011

TUNISIA / GUTERRES

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres travelled to an IDP camp on the Tunisian-Libyan border Thursday, telling the displaced frustrated with the living conditions there that the situation in the camp will improve. UNHCR

Posted at: June 17, 2011 4:22 pm

Duration: 03:06

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: TUNISIA / GUTERRES
TRT: 3.06
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS

DATELINE: 16 JUNE 2011, CHOUCHA CAMP, TUNISIA

SHOTLIST:
1. Wide shot, Camp
2. Wide shot, people in camp
3. Wide shot, men lined up for food in front of tent
3. Med shot, men sitting next to tent, one eating an orange
4. Med shot, man washing himself 
5. Med shot, man sitting on the ground with bottle of water
6. Med shot, men lined up being served food
7. Wide shot, men sitting in front of tent
8. Med shot, Ibrahim with burnt hands sitting inside tent next to another man
9. Wide shot, tent
10. Close up, Ibrahim's eyes
11. Close up, hands
12. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ibrahim Sijaj Osman Eritrean refugee:
"The fire did not give us a chance. Between 5 and 10 minutes, the tent was in flames. It was finished. I couldn't feel anything. I don't know how I got to the hospital. My mind wasn't there." 
10. Various shots, men in tent
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Hovis Etyemezian, UNHCR, Tunisia (English)
"People lost not only their tents but a lot of their belongings and funds that they had, the few funds they had in their pockets."
12. Tracking shot, High Commissioner Antonio Guterres walking at the camp with other officials 
13. Med shot, crowd around Antonio Guterrez
14. SOUND UP (English) Refugee:
"The situation here is horrible."
15. SOUND UP (English) Antonio Guterres, High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR:
"Now we are rebuilding the camp on a piece by piece, area by area. Now some areas have already been rebuilt, others are not yet rebuilt. They are in a very bad condition, but don't worry because everything will be rebuilt. I cannot be done in one day, it is piece by piece, but we are going to rebuild everything." 
16. Tilt up, Elis Mohamad Kadi hands going through a pad of paper 
17. Med shot, young woman
18. Med shot, group of young people sitting down and talking
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Elis Mohamad Kadi, Ethiopian Refugee:
"Too many of my friends died on the sea. I dream about them. From the first day I got out from the boat, I dream everyday about them. I see myself in the sea. I see them." 
19. Tracking shot, Elis walking with his friends towards camera
20. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ibrahim Sijaj Osman:
"I am very happy. I will finally be able to go to another country where I will be safe."
18. Med shot, man cleaning tent
19. Med shot, group of men
20. Med shot, man walking around tents
21. Wide shot, camp with tents

STORYLINE:

Choucha Camp sits eight kilometers from the Tunisian-Libyan border.

In the spring, it grew out of the desert to provide for shelter the thousands of people fleeing the Libyan conflict.

Since the beginning of the crisis UNHCR and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have helped more than 100,000 Asian and Africans return home.

But others are still waiting over three thousand refugees and asylum seekers from 30 countries, for a place to go.

At the end of May, a fire killed four Eritreans.

Ibrahim Siraj Osman, an Eritrean refugee, woke up to a burning tent. It was too late to save his friends.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ibrahim Sijaj Osman Eritrean refugee:
"The fire did not give us a chance. Between 5 and 10 minutes, the tent was in flames. It was finished. I couldn't feel anything. I don't know how I got to the hospital. My mind wasn't there."

Three days later other fires, arson attacks burnt 80 percent of the camp down.

SOUNDBITE (English) Hovis Etyemezian, UNHCR, Tunisia (English)
"People lost not only their tents but a lot of their belongings and funds that they had, the few funds they had in their pockets."

The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres travelled to Couch Camp ahead of World Refugee Day.

He was confronted by a few frustrated residents.

SOUND-UP (English) Unidentified, refugee:
"The situation here is horrible."

The High Commissioner said things would improve.

SOUND-UP (English) Antonio Guterres, High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR):
"Now we are rebuilding the camp on a piece by piece, area by area. Now some areas have already been rebuilt, others are not yet rebuilt. They are in a very bad condition, but don't worry because everything will be rebuilt. I cannot be done in one day, it is piece by piece, but we are going to rebuild everything." 
 
Elias Mohamed Kati, an Ethiopian refugee and survivor of a boat trip to Lampedusa, also met the High Commissioner. 72 people died on his boat, only 9 survived. He cannot forget.

SOUNDBITE (English) Elis Mohamad Kadi, Ethiopian Refugee:
"Too many of my friends died on the sea. I dream about them. From the first day I got out from the boat, I dream everyday about them. I see myself in the sea. I see them."

Elis and Ibrahim are among those who cannot go home. Their hope now lies with having been granted refugee status, says Ibrahim.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ibrahim Sijaj Osman:
"I am very happy. I will finally be able to go to another country where I will be safe."

The upheaval in North Africa continues to displace thousands everyday.

More is needed to support Tunisia's assistance to refugees and asylum seekers, explained the High Commissioner as well as more opportunities to resettle those who desperately need a place to go.