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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC / IDP CHILDREN
STORY: CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC / IDP CHILDREN
TRT: 2.40
SOURCE: UNICEF /FILE
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /NATS
DATELINE: 1 DECEMBER 2014, BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC / FILE
FILE – WFP - 28 MAY 2014, GBITI CAMP, CAMEROON
1. Various shots, camp under rain
2. Various shots, displaced
1 DECEMBER 2014, BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Nsonjiba Lokenga, Chief of Child Protection in Central African Republic:
“The first three months of 2014 were quite hard because armed groups didn’t want to interact with us - they were not sure if that was an attempt to arrest them. But we managed to convene a workshop toward the end of March with more than 65 anti-balaka commanders. And that gave us a breakthrough – to have access to children that were in their hands and we started not only to release the children from anti-balaka but also to release children from ex-Seleka. “
FILE - WFP - 29 MAY 2014, LOLO CAMP, CAMEROON
4. Med shot, group of women and children inside a tent
5. Close up, woman with small child
1 DECEMBER 2014, BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Nsonjiba Lokenga, Chief of Child Protection in Central African Republic:
“Child protection and education work together to ensure not only that we will provide emergency education to children while displaced in IDP site but also provide organized educational activities so that children can play football, can play volleyball, they can run, they can dance – you know try to help children to come back to normal life even if they are in displaced situation.”
7. Med shot, woman uses UNICEF latrines and showers
8. Med shot, children play behind a UNICEF supplied water bucket
9. Wide shot, IDP residents pump a UNICEF water pump
10. Close up, pump and bucket
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Nsonjiba Lokenga, Chief of Child Protection in Central African Republic:
“We need to continue helping children who are still trapped in the hands of armed groups particularly girls, some of whom have been sexually assaulted, to come out. We can’t afford to leave the children with armed groups.”
17 JANUARY 2014, BANGUI, CAR
12. Wide shot, a group of people with child soldier in foreground
13. Tilt up, legs to gun
14. Wide shot, boy with gun on the street
1 DECEMBER 2014, BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Nsonjiba Lokenga, Chief of Child Protection in Central African Republic:
“We have to help children who come out to reintegrate. To go back to school and those who are already old – because children who come out are between 9 to 17, those are already too old to go back to school. They need to get access to basic literacy but also vocational training.”
16. Med shot, two young girls walk in and sit in courtyard of IDP site
A year after extreme violence tore through the Central African Republic, two out of five children in urgent need of UNICEF’s support are without vital humanitarian aid – according to the agency.
UNICEF says a critical lack of funding and insecurity – such as road barricades, looting and attacks against aid workers – have left children they expected to help this year without access to essential health services, water, education and protection.
The agency said that children in the Central African Republic are no longer making headlines, but over 2.5 million of them continue to live in constant fear. They have little access to essential services and rely entirely on humanitarian aid. As we prepare to mark the New Year, we must seize the chance to give these children a better future.”
In Bangui, Jean Nsonjiba Lokenga, Chief of Child Protection in Central African Republic, reflected on the UNICEF efforts to protect children in difficult circumstances.
He said commanders from the largely Christian anti-balaka and the largely Muslim ex-salaka groups were at first reluctant to cooperate.
SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Nsonjiba Lokenga, Chief of Child Protection in Central African Republic, “The first three months of 2014 were quite hard because armed groups didn’t want to interact with us - they were not sure if that was an attempt to arrest them. But we managed to convene a workshop toward the end of March with more than 65 anti-balaka commanders. And that gave us a breakthrough – to have access to children that were in their hands and we started not only to release the children from anti-balaka but also to release children from ex-Seleka. “
He said that with some success UNICEF was able to provide something akin to a normal life to children in a displaced situation.
SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Nsonjiba Lokenga, Chief of Child Protection in Central African Republic, “Child protection and education work together to ensure not only that we will provide emergency education to children while displaced in IDP site but also provide organized educational activities so that children can play football, can play volleyball, they can run, they can dance – you know try to help children to come back to normal life even if they are in displaced situation.”
But there are still children in the camps of armed groups in need of care, he said.
SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Nsonjiba Lokenga, Chief of Child Protection in Central African Republic, “We need to continue helping children who are still trapped in the hands of armed groups particularly girls, some of whom have been sexually assaulted, to come out. We can’t afford to leave the children with armed groups.”
Getting them out of the groups is one thing, educating and training them too, is another, he said.
SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Nsonjiba Lokenga, Chief of Child Protection in Central African Republic, “We have to help children who come out to reintegrate. To go back to school and those who are already old – because children who come out are between 9 to 17, those are already too old to go back to school. They need to get access to basic literacy but also vocational training.”
UNICEF has reported that with less than half of the required emergency funding received this year, and limited humanitarian access due to violence, UNICEF struggled to deliver vital life-saving assistance that communities needed.
620,000 people were unable to receive basic healthcare and medicines
250,000 people were unable to access improved sources of water
33,000 children were not vaccinated against measles
5,000 severely malnourished children under-five could not be treated.
At the peak of the crisis, fighting and widespread clashes forced nearly half a million children to flee their homes. The conflict has torn apart communities across the country, leaving in its wake destruction and a collapse of basic services. According to UNICEF, an average of at least one child was killed or maimed every day this year in the Central African Republic. Up to 10,000 children were recruited by armed groups.
Together with local authorities and partners, UNICEF was able to make life-saving services accessible to thousands of families in need. Close to 1.4 million people received medicines; more than 1 million children were vaccinated against polio; approximately 550,000 mosquito nets were distributed to protect families from malaria and over 22,300 severely malnourished children received therapeutic treatment.
At the same time, the crisis is spreading across borders. In the past 12 months, violence has caused 188,000 new refugees to flee into neighbouring Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo. Over 80 per cent of the people fleeing violence across borders are children and women. In addition, about 430,000 people who have fled their homes remain displaced within the Central African Republic itself. Over 16,000 people from minority populations remain under siege in enclaves surrounded by armed groups.
UNICEF is appealing for US$72 million for 2015 to be able to carry out its emergency programmes in Central African Republic, which aim to re-build social services, protect civilians, engage communities to foster reconciliation and prom
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