TANZANIA / REFUGEES SHELTERS

Thousands of Burundian refugees are living in dire conditions in camps in Tanzania because of a funding crisis. Many are still living in emergency tents, some since their arrival two years ago. UNHCR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:37
• Production Date: 30 November 2017
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES - UNHCR
• Subject Topical: REFUGEE CAMPS
• Geographic Subject: TANZANIA
• MAMS Id: 2049703
• Parent Id: 2049703
• Alternate Title: unifeed171130b

Description

STORY: TANZANIA / REFUGEES SHELTERS
TRT: 2:37
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT ON SCREEN UNHCR
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /KISWAHILI /NATS

DATELINE: 1-3 NOVEMBER 2017, NDUTA CAMP/ NYARUGUSU CAMP, TANZANIA

Shotlist

3 NOVEMBER 2017, NDUTA CAMP, TANZANIA

1. Various shots, Edward Imani and his children in his tent
2. Wide shot, kid in front of tent
3. Close up, kids
4. Wide shot, camp
5. Wide shot, Edward washing
6. Rack focus, children
7. SOUNDBITE (Kiswahili) Edward Imani Rakeza, Burundian Refugee:
“The tent brings us lots of problems because it is very hot inside. It also doesn’t have any rooms inside so for example for someone like me, like an adult, there is no privacy.”
8. Tilt up, mud bricks to tent
9. Wide shot, shelter
10. Wide shot, women and children
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Patrick Mutai, Shelter Officer, UNHCR:
“Once they move into it, once they have settled in, they can slowly start producing the bricks, mud bricks, and constructing around it to upgrade it to semi-permanent or transitional shelter, so it shortens the amount of time these refugees have to stay in these tents and emergency shelters.”
12. Various shots, people in camp

1 NOVEMBER, NYARUGUSU CAMP, TANZANIA

13. Various shots, women in camp
14. Pan right, old tents
15. Med shot, women and children outside tent
16. Wide shot, women and children outside mass shelter
17. Med shot, kid
18. Wide shot, interior, mass shelter
19. Tilt down, Sandrine and her children
20. SOUNDBITE (Kiswahili) Sandrine Nyaribagiza , Congolese refugee:
“The children that are living here get sick every day because of the terrible conditions. We don’t live properly, there are so many diseases, we need better living conditions.”
21. Pan left, Sandrine’s children
22. Various shots, women making mud bricks
23. Wide shot, man building house

Storyline

Thousands of Burundian refugees are living in dire conditions in camps in Tanzania because of a funding crisis. Many are still living in emergency tents, some since their arrival two years ago.

Edward Imani is one of tens of thousands of Burundian refugees who call a plastic tent home. He’s been living in Nduta camp in Tanzania with his children for over a year, having fled the conflict in his homeland which has seen 400,000 people leave for neighboring countries.

The UNHCR doesn’t have enough funds to move people out of the tents and into more solid structures, so refugees are having to stay in these emergency shelters for much longer than they are supposed to.

SOUNDBITE (Kiswahili) Edward Imani Rakeza, Burundian Refugee:
“The tent brings us lots of problems because it is very hot inside. It also doesn’t have any rooms inside so for example for someone like me, like an adult, there is no privacy.”

A pilot project is helping Burundians move into better homes. These are upgradeable shelters — but are only available to people who have recently arrived.

SOUNDBITE (English) Patrick Mutai, Shelter Officer, UNHCR:

“Once they move into it, once they have settled in, they can slowly start producing the bricks, mud bricks, and constructing around it to upgrade it to semi permanent or transitional shelter, so it shortens the amount of time these refugees have to stay in these tents and emergency shelters.”

This project actually costs less than housing people in an emergency tent and then building a more solid structure, and it could be rolled out for future refugee crises in the region.

But that is not helping Burundians who are already here. In nearby Nyaragusu camp, over 50% of Burundians are still living in these emergency tents, many of which are falling apart.

And the challenges in Nyaragusu are exacerbated by a recent influx of Congolese refugees.

Families are having to stay in these mass shelters for months on end — they are only supposed to stay here a week at most. The tents are ripped, allowing rain and rats through to where people sleep.

SOUNDBITE (Kiswahili) Sandrine Nyaribagiza , Congolese refugee:
“The children that are living here get sick every day because of the terrible conditions. We don’t live properly, there are so many diseases, we need better living conditions.”

The UNHCR does provide support for refugees who are able to build their own homes — but it requires some start up capital to buy some materials. For those that can’t afford they are hoping their tent survives the upcoming rainy season.

The UNHCR and partners are starting to move refugees into transitional shelters, and supporting a project where refugees are able to help build their own. Though it offers hope for the future, more funding is needed to help thousands of refugees still living in fragile conditions.