8 Aug 2012

BURKINA FASO / MALI REFUGEES

107,000 Malians have arrived in the small West African country of Burkina Faso since January. They have abandoned everything to escape the conflict in northern Mali and now must survive in refugee camps. UNHCR

Posted at: August 8, 2012 1:49 pm

Duration: 03:02

Available in: SD, HD

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STORY: BURKINA FASO / MALIAN REFUGEES
TRT: 3.02
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: TAMASHECK / NATS

LOCATION: 26 JULY 2012, DAMBA CAMP, BURKINA FASO

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide shot, woman walking with children
2. Wide shot, girl walking
3. Wide shot, woman pouring water in a small can
4. Wide shot, children playing in camp
5. Wide shot, refugees in camp
6. Wide shot, refugees gathering on the registration center
7. Med shot, refugee women in front of their shelter
8. Wide shot, children walking
9. Med shot, Raichatou and her children standing
10. Wide shot, Raichatou walking
11. Med shot, Raichatou in her shelter with her child
12. Wide shot, Raichatou with her donkey
11.Close up, Raichatou's face
12. SOUNDBITE (Tamashek) Damba Raichatou, Malian refugee:
"The most important thing is that I am safe here. We urgently need supplies.  We need medicines. Thankfully we have safe drinking water, this is a major relief. But we need supplies now." 
13. Wide shot, men with livestock, young child
14. Wide shot, refugee woman, child running
15. Wide shot, woman sitting
16. Wide shot, women building a shelter
17. Med shot, Raichatou building a shelter
18. Close up, Raichatou building a shelter
19. Med shot, Oumey sitting
20. Med shot, Oumey sitting
21. SOUNDBITE (Tamashek) Oumey Data Ag Abdoulahi, Malian refugee:
"The Islamists arrived in my town. They imposed new laws. If they suspect someone of touching a phone, they can cut off his hand. The Islamists say they do not recognize borders and they will take all the towns where Muslims live and teach them about Islam."
22. Med shot, woman sitting with her baby
23. Close up, Refugee leader
24. Wide shot, Raichatou's shelter
25. SOUNDBITE (Tamashek) Oumey Data Ag Abdoulahi, Malian refugee:
"I saw people being killed. I did not want to wait for it to be my turn. I am a human being. I was scared for my life, that sharia would be imposed. I cannot follow this. I work. I have friends, a wife.  If I was caught now talking to you, two women we would be killed. If a woman loses her veil, she is beaten. There are so many things I could follow the Islamists. That is the reason I left northern Mali and came here by foot."
26. Wide shot, refugees building shelter together
27. Med shot, refugees at the water point
28. Med shot, refugee girls pounding grains
29. Med shot, refugee kids outside of their shelter

STORYLINE:

They have left everything behind them to escape the conflict in Northern Mali.

And now they must survive in refugee camps in the north of Burkina Faso.

107,000 Malians have arrived in this small West African country since last January. 
Raichatou arrived in Damba refugee camp last February.

Most walked for days before reaching safety.

She fled her village in northern Mali, with 23 members of her family, after the attack on the main cities.

They fled with a donkey and 400 goats, and walked for two weeks.

The family arrived in Burkina with only thirty animals. Most died of dehydration on the way.

SOUNDBITE (Tamashek) Damba Raichatou, Malian refugee: 
"The most important thing is that I am safe here. We urgently need supplies.  We need medicines. Thankfully we have safe drinking water, this is a major relief. But we need supplies now."

Most of these refugees are Tuaregs. They are nomadic and skilled in survival in the desert.

Raichatou says she can build a shelter for herself in a few hours, but the scrounging for wood sticks to make the frame takes a day.

Oumey Data Ag Abdoulahi tells a similar story. The fear of armed groups is what made him leave.

SOUNDBITE (Tamashek) Oumey Data Ag Abdoulahi, Malian Refugee: 
"The Islamists arrived in my town. They imposed new laws. If they suspect someone of touching a phone, they can cut off his hand. The Islamists say they do not recognize borders and they will take all the towns where Muslims live and teach them about Islam."

The general political instability in Mali and the proliferation of armed groups in the North of the country is pushing more and more civilians to leave their country.

SOUNDBITE (Tamashek) Oumey Data Ag Abdoulahi, Malian Refugee: 
"I saw people being killed. I did not want to wait for it to be my turn. I am a human being. I was scared for my life, that sharia would be imposed. I cannot follow this. I work. I have friends, a wife.  If I was caught now talking to you, two women we would be killed. If a woman loses her veil, she is beaten. There are so many things I could follow the Islamists. That is the reason I left northern Mali and came here by foot."

To provide shelter, food and care for these refugees UNHCR says it needs 153 million dollars. To date just over 49 million has been received.