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TUNISIA –LIBYA BORDER / REFUGEE AID
STORY: TUNISIA –LIBYA BORDER / REFUGEE AID
TRT: 2.51
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 11-13 MARCH 2011, CHOUCHA CAMP, TUNISIA
1. Various shots, food distribution
2. Med shot, Henneke Cook
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Henneke Cook, volunteer, Association de Cooperation en Tunisie:
“Anything that you could think of Tunisians have been bringing in huge amounts. We have not had to buy any dried good at all. We have had milk, water. We have had all kinds of things donated.”
4. Various shots, meal served to refugees’ cueing5. Various shots, Salem Gaja cooking
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Salem Gaja, volunteer cook:
"I love for all the people here to have to eat.”
7. Wide shot, Tunisian military camp.
8. Wide shot, Tunisian military surgeon healing patient
9. Close up, patient.
10 SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Manai Mohammed Hadi, Surgeon:
“After the revolution, the people have enthusiasm to work, to do for the refugee, many things are done by the people without organisms, done spontaneously.”
12. Med shot, UNHCR tents being set up13. Close up, volunteer setting up tents14. Wide shot, UNHCR tents been set up15. Wide shot, Fatima16. SOUNDBITE (English) Fatima, volunteer, university professor:
“When Ben Ali was Tunisian President, it was not allowed to help people. Now we can. Really we can come here and help these refugees and make their life in this camp better.”
13. Various shots, UNHCR volunteers18. SOUNDBITE (English) Firaz Kayal, Spokesperson, UNHCR:“The response of the Tunisia community and people has been really impressive. They were at the border, present and providing everyone who comes across the border with food, water, sandwiches and medical services.”19. Wide shot of refugees arriving in camp20. Med shot, refugees arriving to camp with luggage21. Wide shot, crowd
While donations pour in from all over the world to help people fleeing Libya, Tunisia’s response has been driven at a local level.
Food, clothes, medicine and volunteers have been arriving at the Choucha camp on the Libyan border since the beginning of the crisis and the aid continues.
SOUNDBITE (English) Henneke Cook, volunteer, Association de Cooperation en Tunisie:
“Anything that you could think of Tunisians have been bringing in huge amounts. We have not had to buy any dried good at all. We have had milk, water. We have had all kinds of things donated.”
Tunisia is the birthplace of the democratic awakening sweeping the Arab world. In this country the revolution toppled their long time president in January.
So Tunisians feel a special responsibility for the tragedy unfolding on their doorstep.
Salem Gaja works as a chef in a tourist hotel in the resort town of Djerba.
These days he is volunteering at the Choucha camp helping to serve 10,000 meals a day.
SOUNDBITE (English) Salem Gaja, volunteer cook:
"I love for all the people here to have to eat.”
The Tunisian army is also helping with everything from registration to crowd control. At the army hospital, set up in a compound on the edge of the camp, doctors are treating the wounded and sick
Dr. Manai Mohammed Hadi is a surgeon. He says the outpouring is unprecedented in Tunisian history.
SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Manai Mohammed Hadi, Surgeon:
“After the revolution, the people have enthusiasm to work, to do for the refugees, many things are done by the people without organisms, done spontaneously.”
So far the volunteers have helped more than 100,000 people fleeing Libya’s crisis.
Fatima, a University professor from Tunis, arrived in the camp two days ago and is helping the Tunisian Red Crescent pick up garbage around the camp. She says the spirit of volunteerism that she is part of is something new.
SOUNDBITE (English) Fatima, volunteer, university professor:
“When Ben Ali was Tunisian President, it was not allowed to help people. Now we can. Really we can come here and help these refugees and make their life in this camp better.”
The assistance has given locals a sense of purpose at a time when their own future is uncertain.
And it has been an invaluable help to international aid workers.
SOUNDBITE (English) Firaz Kayal, Spokesperson, UNHCR:
“The response of the Tunisia community and people has been really impressive. They were at the border, present and providing everyone who comes across the border with food, water, sandwiches and medical services.”
Most importantly, it has saved lives.
For the people who’ve sought refuge here with nothing but the clothes on their back, that hospitality may be what they remember most.
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