5 Oct 2012

SOUTH SUDAN / REFUGEES

A look at UNICEF's work in Maban County, South Sudan, the home to over 100,000 refugees fleeing the bombing of their homes in the Blue Nile State, in Sudan. UNICEF

Posted at: October 5, 2012 2:35 pm

Duration: 02:45

Available in: SD, HD

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Full script

STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / REFUGEES
TRT: 2:45 
SOURCE: UNICEF 
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: English
 
DATELINE: 7 SEPTEMBER 2012- 14 SEPTEMBER 2012
 
SHOTLIST:

1. Wide shot, muddy road in Maban county
2. Med shot, people walking in town
3. Med shot, flooded Bunj main road with people walking through
4. Med shot, flooded Bunj main road with people carrying belongings on their heads
5. Med shot, refugee camp
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Fredrick Cussigh, Head of Field Office, Maban, UNHCR: 
"Right now the main challenge is logistics. Cause right now we are pretty cutoff from the world and the only option is airlift which is pretty expensive. Plus right now we have had flooding of the Bunj town which is the main town in Maban County. The road is still passable but we are worried about the possible consequences on our supply line."
7. Med shot, women and children in camp getting water
8. Close up, getting water
9. Med shot, women and children in camp getting water
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF Representative in the South Sudan:
"Children fleeing the violence in Sudan have faced immense stress and we are seeing the consequences of it. It's extremely important that we all come together and put forward our best effort to get the most basic of services that they are in need of. We have to make sure the children have access to health care, to education, to a protective environment so that we can enable them to not just survive but to thrive in a situation that is so challenging. And for that we need the funding, it's essential."
11. Wide shot, make-shift outside classroom
12. Med shot, children in classroom
13. Close up, filling out documents
14. Med shot, Marte Ricci plays with children
15. Close up, playing in field
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Marte Ricci, INTERSOS:
"The first week we had already 400 children and now we reached today 1000. UNICEF is providing us with recreational material and school materials and we hope in 2 weeks to cover 2000 children in this area."
17. Med shot, child getting vaccinated
18. Close up, child getting vaccinated
19. Close up, children looking into camera

STORYLINE:

This is Maban County, home to over 100,000 refugees fleeing from the constant bombing of their homes, in the Blue Nile State, in Sudan.

They travel on foot for up to 3 months with whatever small supplies they can carry, until they arrive in El Fuge. From here they are transported by UNHCR to a refugee camp in Maban County.

SOUNDBITE (English) Fredrick Cussigh, Head of Field Office, Maban, UNHCR:
"Right now the main challenge is logistics. Cause right now we are pretty cutoff from the world and the only option is airlift which is pretty expensive. Plus right now we have had flooding of the Bunj City which is the main town in Maban County. The road is still passable but we are worried about the possible consequences on our supply line."

Under these circumstances children are the most at risk. This is why UNICEF is funding supplies and a variety of programs to safeguard them from  hunger and disease, and try to give them some semblance of a normal life.

SOUNDBITE (English) Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF Representative in the South Sudan: 
"Children fleeing the violence in Sudan have faced immense stress and we are seeing the consequences of it. It's extremely important that we all come together and put forward our best effort to get the most basic of services that they are in need of. We have to make sure the children have access to health care, to education, to a protective environment so that we can enable them to not just survive but to thrive in a situation that is so challenging. And for that we need the funding, it's essential."

Caring for the child's physical well being is not the only concern. The children have been through a lot. By funding schools they are able not only to get an education but to continue their social development and to cope with the trauma. Marte works with UNICEF's partner organization, the Rome-based humanitarian agency INTERSOS to provide child friendly spaces where children can play and learn.

SOUNDBITE (English) Marte Ricci, INTERSOS:
"The first week we had already 400 children and now we reached today 1000. UNICEF is providing us with recreational material and school materials and we hope in 2 weeks to cover 2000 children in this area."

The work being done in Maban is saving lives every day but the sheer volume of vulnerable children in the camps, means that even more support will be needed.