HAITI / THREE MONTH UPDATE

UNICEF takes stock of the Haiti response, three months after the earthquake. UNICEF

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:55
• Production Date: 9 April 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND - UNICEF
• Subject Topical: EDUCATION; REFUGEES; DISPLACED PERSONS; DISASTER PREVENTION; DISASTER PREPAREDNESS; DISASTER RELIEF
• Geographic Subject: HAITI
• MAMS Id: U100409c

Description

STORY: HAITI / THREE MONTH UPDATE
TRT: 2.55
SOURCE UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE

LANGUAGES ENGLISH/ CREOLE/ NATS

DATELINE: 8 APRIL 2010, PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI

Shotlist

1. Med shot, man uses sledge hammer to knock down part of a wall
2. Close up, eats bowl of rice
3. Med shot, fork lift approaches stack of wooden boxes
4. Med shot, back of little girl standing in mud
5. Wide shot, stack of tires next to road
6. Close up, girl in pink shirt in front of white plastic sheet
7. SOUNDBITE (English), Edward Carwardine, UNICEF Acting Chief of Communications in Haiti:
"UNICEF has said from the beginning, that the earthquake was very much a children's emergency. And it's also important that this now becomes a children's recovery, that we put children at the forefront of the agenda as we move forwards, that we make sure their voices are heard, we make sure that their needs are identified and clearly spelled out, and that their rights are upheld as we move forwards. So the three-month report that UNICEF has put out for the anniversary of the earthquake really tries to sum up what's been achieved, but also identifies where the needs still are, where there are still gaps -- and there are many things that still need to be done for children."
8. Med shot large group of school children walk past tent classrooms
9. Close up - face of boy with missing front teeth
10. Close up - girl preparing food while sitting on mattress
11. SOUNDBITE (Creole), Shasha Liza, 13 years old:
"It's not easy to live in this camp. If we had proper tents, and better access to water, it would be easier to stay here for a longer period of time. It's difficult now; it's filthy, and when it rains, all the dirt turns to mud."
12. Med shot, girl walks up to tent and enters
13. Wide shot, girl and her friend walk in camp toward camera
14. Med shot, school girls enter UNICEF tent
15. Med shot, adults stand in front of blue table and hand school supplies to children
16. Med shot - two children raise a flag
17. Med shot - girl at blue desk stands and talks to class
18. SOUNDBITE (English), Edward Carwardine, UNICEF Acting Chief of Communications in Haiti:
"It's about insuring education for every child; an inclusive education, an education that presents no barriers or obstacles to children to come back to school. It's about insuring that we focus on the nutrition of children. Malnutrition and under nutrition has been a major problem here in Haiti, even before the earthquake, and so we want to make sure that as children move out of this current emergency, that they don't fall victim to yet another emergency, which is one of malnutrition. The third area is protection. It's not just about protecting children in these difficult times, it's also making sure there are systems and structures in place that provide a long-term safety net for children, that their rights are protected, and that their welfare is very much at the heart of everything we do here, whether it's about policy, or projects or services – that children have this protective environment in which they can grow up out of this disaster."
19. Close up, blue UNICEF desk with girls seated
20. Med shot, row of girls seated outside
21. Close up, pot on fire
22. Close up, small child stands, with arm against wood pole
23. Med shot, boy flies kite
24. Med shot, small child walks in mud, away from camera
25. Med shot, girl washes dishes in orange bowl
26. Med shot, children play on colored tires
27. Wide shot, girl with arm over friend's shoulder as they walk through camp, away from camera
28. Wide shot, group of young adults walk across street and into living camp
29. Med shot, two motorcycles travel on dirt road
30. Med shot, women stand outside plastic latrine
31. Med shot, man and woman talk with a man and small girl by white metal fence
32. Close up, small child sits against doorway, next to orange bowl
33. Med shot, small boy takes a bath in plastic bowl outside

Storyline

As Haiti slowly moves forward after the 12 January earthquake, UNICEF is releasing a comprehensive report centered on children and with an eye to the future.

The report, "Children of Haiti – Taking Stock at the Three-Month Mark" provides an overview of the progress so far, as well as a critical look at the gaps and challenges, in the hope of positively transforming Haitian society.

SOUNDBITE (English), Edward Carwardine, UNICEF Acting Chief of Communications in Haiti:
"UNICEF has said from the beginning, that the earthquake was very much a children's emergency. And it's also important that this now becomes a children's recovery, that we put children at the forefront of the agenda as we move forwards, that we make sure their voices are heard, we make sure that their needs are identified and clearly spelled out, and that their rights are upheld as we move forwards. So the three-month report that UNICEF has put out for the anniversary of the earthquake really tries to sum up what's been achieved, but also identifies where the needs still are, where there are still gaps -- and there are many things that still need to be done for children."

One of these children is 13-year-old Shasha Liza. The earthquake destroyed her home and killed her father. She's now living in a small tent with nine other people.

SOUNDBITE (Haitian Creole), Shasha Liza, 13 years old:
"It's not easy to live in this camp. If we had proper tents, and better access to water, it would be easier to stay here for a longer period of time. It's difficult now; it's filthy, and when it rains, all the dirt turns to mud."

Shasha is anxious to return to school, and because of the earthquake, now wants to study politics and become a senator. With schools across the country now beginning to open, her dream is now becoming a little more accessible.

UNICEF and its partners are working hand-in-hand with the government of Haiti, with the aim of returning more than 700,000 students to school over the next two months.

Education is one of three key areas UNICEF has identified as being crucial for the future of Haiti's children.

SOUNDBITE (English), Edward Carwardine, UNICEF Acting Chief of Communications in Haiti:
"It's about insuring education for every child; an inclusive education, an education that presents no barriers or obstacles to children to come back to school. It's about insuring that we focus on the nutrition of children. Malnutrition and under nutrition has been a major problem here in Haiti, even before the earthquake, and so we want to make sure that as children move out of this current emergency, that they don't fall victim to yet another emergency, which is one of malnutrition. The third area is protection. It's not just about protecting children in these difficult times, it's also making sure there are systems and structures in place that provide a long-term safety net for children, that their rights are protected, and that their welfare is very much at the heart of everything we do here, whether it's about policy, or projects or services, that children have this protective environment in which they can grow up out of this disaster."

Another way UNICEF is improving the lives of girls like Shasha is with a new rapid-assessment program to monitor all of the temporary camps in Port-au-Prince.

Teams of young Haitians are fanning out across the city on motorcycles, visiting each camp every two weeks. They quickly evaluate the conditions, and are able to identify the best and the worst, which helps direct resources to the people who need them most.