PAKISTAN / MULTAN RETURNEES

At least ten million displaced people across Pakistan are returning home to try to rebuild their shattered lives following the recent flooding that devastated one-fifth of the country's land. In rural areas, meagre resources, loss of cattle and livelihoods could make it harder to secure shelter for the winter. UNICEF

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:26
• Production Date: 10 December 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND - UNICEF
• Subject Topical: HUMANITARIAN RELIEF; REFUGEES; DISPLACED PERSONS; DISASTER PREVENTION; DISASTER PREPAREDNESS; DISASTER RELIEF
• Geographic Subject: PAKISTAN
• MAMS Id: U101210e

Description

STORY: PAKISTAN / MULTAN RETURNEES
TRT: 2:26
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: URDU / SARAIKI / NATS

DATELINE: 24,25 NOVEMBER 2010, MUZZAFARGARH AND LAYYAH DISTRICT, PUNJAB PROVINCE, PAKISTAN

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, Farzana Fayaz preparing a lump of clay to make bricks
2. Med shot, Farzana Fayaz moulding clay into the form of a brick
3. Close up, Farzana Fayaz’s hands
4. Med shot, Farzana Fayaz moulding clay into the form of a brick
5. Wide shot, boy and girl passing through floods water
6. Close up, Farzana Fayaz’s hands as she makes a brick
7. SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Farzana Fayaz, Flood Survivor:
“I make bricks myself to build my house. I am worried about my children, in the night it becomes very cold, we do not have any warm clothes, no food, no covers or bedding, absolutely nothing.”
8. Wide shot, displaced families pulling their belongings out of a truck
9. Med shot, bullock cart with the refugees and their belongings
10.Various shots, refugees with their belongings in bullock carts
11. Wide shot, old woman salvaging bricks from the rubble of her damaged house
12. Med shot, mother holding a new-born baby yawning
13. Med shot, mother standing with baby in her arms
14. Close up, baby
15. SOUNDBITE (Saraiki) Tasleem Bibi, Flood survivor:
“We had to flee because of the catastrophic floods, we were so worried. We stayed with our relatives in Multan for one month before returning home. My two children felt sick and became very weak. We didn’t have food or milk to feed them. There were no medicines for their treatment.”
16. Med shot, Jan Sigismund, Emergency Coordinator in Multan, Punjab walking through the floods ravaged village with an old man taking him to see his damaged house
17. Wide shot, UNICEF established an outpatient therapeutic centre for malnourished children 18. Med shot, lady health worker measuring child’s nutritional status by tape
19. Close up, baby whose arm is being measured
20. SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Rubina Kiran, Health worker, District Layyah:
“We’ve started this new programme. We’re registering all the patients. The malnourished children are being given plumpy nuts and the ones with other complications and diseases are being treated as well. We continue to follow up with the patients and we have noted a marked improvement.”
21. Wide shot, Temporary Learning Centre supported by UNICEF in district Layyah
22. Med shot, boy looking into his bag
23. Med shot, teacher with a student at the temporary learning center
24. SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Zubaia Aiman, six years old:
“The floods destroyed our school and a camp was opened here. I study in the camp and my sister and brother are also attending school here.”
25. Wide shot, little boy standing in the field with a UNICEF tent on both sides
26. Wide shot, moving shot from the river, women standing amidst the rubble
27. Close shot, two little girls
28. Med shot, three women sitting by the roadside
29. Med shot, old man building the wall of his damaged house
30. Close shot, old man cementing bricks
31. Med shot, girl writing
32. Close shot, girl’s notebook

Storyline

Farzana Fayaz is rebuilding her life - brick by brick. She’s racing against time to construct a shelter for her children.

The cruel floods that ravaged North Western Pakistan left her with nothing.

SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Farzana Fayaz, Flood survivor:
“I make bricks myself to build my house. I am worried about my children, in the night it becomes very cold, we do not have any warm clothes, no food, no covers or bedding, absolutely nothing.”

Nature seems to have no mercy for millions like Farzana. They were forced to flee their homes when the waters were rising. Four months after calamity struck, they are slowly heading back to face the aftermath.

But all roads seem to lead nowhere.

Their misery is unending and it’s the children that are suffering the most.

SOUNDBITE (Saraiki) Tasleem Bibi, Flood survivor:
“We had to flee because of the catastrophic floods, we were so worried. We stayed with our relatives in Multan for one month before returning home. My two children felt sick and became very weak. We didn’t have food or milk to feed them. There were no Medicines for their treatment.”

UNICEF has been working to meet the basic needs of the displaced. The organization has set up health clinics like this one, that treat malnourished children.

SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Rubina Kiran, Health worker, District Layyah:
“We’ve started this new programme. We’re registering all the patients. The malnourished children are being given plumpy nuts and the ones with other complications and diseases are being treated as well. We continue to follow up with the patients and we have noted a marked improvement.”

UNICEF is also making efforts to restore normalcy in the lives of students with makeshift learning centers.

SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Zubaia Aiman, six years old:
“The floods destroyed our school and a camp was opened here. I study in the camp and my sister and brother are also attending school here.”

But these are only stitches to wounds that need long-term treatment. Today, Pakistan desperately needs a tidal wave of assistance from the international community, support that would pull these people out of their emotional paralysis and help them walk again.