13 Aug 2011

LAO / STORM RECOVERY

Almost two months after Tropical Storm Haima left an estimated 100,000 people without homes and livestock, the Lao government, UNICEF and partners continue to assist villagers struggling to rebuild what is left of their livelihood. UNICEF

Posted at: August 13, 2011 12:01 am

Duration: 02:47

Available in: SD

DOWNLOAD

Full script

STORY: LAO / STORM RECOVERY
TRT: 2:47
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: LAO LOUM / ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 19-20 JULY 2011, BORIKHAMXAY, LAOS.

SHOTLIST:

1. Med shot, water flooding homes in Laos
2. Med shot, from a moving car showing flood water
3. Wide angle shot of village in Borikhamxay destroyed after the floods
4. Med shot, elderly woman walking with her grandson on her back
5. Med shot, Khamphanh carrying wood from his broken house
6. SOUNDBITE (Lao Loum) Khamphanh, aged 55:
"The floods destroyed everything, my house is gone, my livestock are gone everything has been damaged. I have nothing only the clothes I am wearing. I feel like I have to start everything from the beginning. Like I have been reborn."
7. Wide shot, Mekong river
8. Wide shot, destroyed village and chickens
9. SOUNDBITE (Lao Loum) Khamphanh, 55 years old:
"I was building my livestock since 1995, it was my families main source of food and income. We lost all of them, they all drowned. We have nothing left." 
10. Close up, two young girls in Borikhamxay
11. Med shot, group of children who have been affected by the floods
12. SOUNDBITE (Lao Loum) May, 8 years old:
"I was sleeping when the water came. There was water everywhere, I ran and tried to escape. I was so scared."
13. Wide shot, young girl washing her flip flop in a puddle
14. Close up, young girl staring into the camera
15. Wide shot, woman washing her clothes in the Mekong River
16. Close Up, two young girls sitting by the Mekong river. 
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Timothy Schaffter. UNICEF, Lao PDR Representative: 
"An early response is critical in these types of situations, to ensure prevention of water and vector borne diseases and the protection of families well-being especially among vulnerable populations. We're very confident in the strong and rapid actions taken by our Government partners."
18. Med shot, UNICEF driver unloading supplies at the Ministry of Health in Borikhamxay
19. Med shot, UNICEF worker bringing a box into ministry of health
20. Med shot, UNICEF and government village level meeting in Borikhamxay
21. Close up, young boy and his grandmother listen to the village level meeting on floods
22. Med shot, woman responds to government meeting at village level
23. Close up, young girl stares at camera
24. Wide shot, woman sifting through the broken remains of her house
25. Med shot, young girl trying to open a juice bottle
26. Close up, young girl in Borikhamxay looking into the camera

STORYLINE:

Water logged and destroyed. The devastated remains of villages throughout Lao, in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Haima.

Almost a month after the storm occurred an estimated 100,000 people have been left without homes and livestock.

Here in Borikhamxay Province, 55 year old father of three Khamphanh is attempting to rebuild what is left of his family home.

SOUNDBITE (Lao Loum) Khamphanh, 55 years old:
 "The floods destroyed everything, my house is gone, my livestock are gone everything has been damaged. I have nothing only the clothes I am wearing. I feel like I have to start everything from the beginning. Like I have been reborn."
 
As raging rapids from the Mekong River tore Khamphanh's village apart, over 90 percent of the village livestock were destroyed.

SOUNDBITE (Lao Loum) Khamphanh, 55 years old:
"I was building my livestock since 1995, it was my families main source of food and income. We lost all of them, they all drowned. We have nothing left."

The flooding and heavy rains have also left many children vulnerable and without adequate shelter.

SOUNDBITE (Lao Loum) May, 8 years old: 
"I was sleeping when the water came. There was water everywhere, I ran and tried to escape. I was so scared."

With many affected villages cut off from electricity and sanitized water the threat of illness and disease is ever present. In a country where the rural population relies heavily on the Mekong River as their main water supply, outbreaks of disease such as cholera and malaria pose an ongoing threat.

SOUNDBITE (English) Timothy Schaffter. UNICEF, Lao PDR Representative:
"An early response is critical in these types of situations, to ensure prevention of water and vector borne diseases and the protection of families well-being especially among vulnerable populations. We're very confident in the strong and rapid actions taken by our Government partners."

UNICEF has currently distributed bio–sand filters and chlorine to communities throughout Lao and conducted village level meetings in flood affected areas to inform villagers on hygienic practices in emergency flood situations.

Meanwhile the Lao government has mobilized assistance from both public and private sectors, but the scale of the disaster means they will require immediate international aid.

While the government UNICEF and other partners work tirelessly to assist those affected by the floods thousands of villagers struggle to rebuild what is left of their livelihoods.