MALI / MOPTI DISPLACED

Malians who fled Timbuktu, fearing the battle between incoming forces and the Islamists try to make ends meet in Mopti. UNHCR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:13
• Production Date: 8 February 2013
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES - UNHCR
• Subject Topical: HUMANITARIAN RELIEF; REFUGEES; DISPLACED PERSONS
• Geographic Subject: MALI
• MAMS Id: U130208d

Description

STORY: MALI / MOPTI DISPLACED
TRT: 2.13
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: SORAI / NATS

DATELINE: 6 FEBRUARY 2013, MOPTI, MALI

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, house
2. Close up, pot being cleaned
3. Wide shot, women sitting outside
4. Close up, baby on lap sleeping
5. Close up, baby with hand on mouth
6. Close up, Haddi looking ahead
7. SOUNDBITE (Soraï): Haddi Arbouna, displaced Malian: 
“We left Rharous on a small barge. The trip lasted four days during which time we had nothing to eat. Consequences we are still living with. There were twenty three of us. We still have not paid for the barge trip."
8. Med shot, women sitting
9. Close up, woman's face
10. Med shot, women picking rice
11. Close up, rice being filtered
12. Close up, Faddis’s face
13. Close up, rice being filtered
14. SOUNDBITE (Soraï) Faddi Najoum, displaced Malian:
“We fled the war and occupation of the Islamists to find peace here in Sévaré, but life as a displaced person is hard. We can’t always have enough food to eat. We often have to go to the fields to pick up the bits of rice that are left after the harvest. We thank our neighbours and friends who often help us."
15. Close up, baby sleeping
16. Med shot, Ramata crushing leafs.
17. Med shot, Ramata putting leaf remedy on son's head
18. SOUNDBITE (Soraï) Ramata Malick, displaced Malian:
"Since our arrival here in Sévaré, our children have had health problems. We have to pick leaves off the trees to make medicines. Our children don’t have enough to eat or wear.”
19. Close up, Ramata looking down
20. Med shot, woman by food on floor
21. Close up, woman picking food onto tray
22. Med shot, woman taking food into house
23. Close up, food on floor
24. Med shot, two young boys eating

Storyline

This small two room house is home to seven families, in all thirty-two people.

They are from a village close to Timbuktu. Fearing the confrontations between the Islamists and the French and Malian armies, they fled to Mopti two weeks ago.

Faddah Arbounam is a widow who travelled with her five children.

SOUNDBITE (Soraï): Haddi Arbouna, displaced Malian: 
“We left Rharous on a small barge. The trip lasted four days during which time we had nothing to eat. Consequences we are still living with. There were twenty three of us. We still have not paid for the barge trip."

This is the harvest season. The displaced go work in the fields in the hope of getting some food for their families. Others gather grains dropped from the field carts.

With tenacity and patience, Faddi and her daughters separate the rice from the grains of sand, and manage to collect four kilos.

SOUNDBITE (Soraï) Faddi Najoum, displaced Malian:
“We fled the war and occupation of the Islamists to find peace here in Sévaré, but life as a displaced person is hard. We can’t always have enough food to eat. We often have to go to the fields to pick up the bits of rice that are left after the harvest. We thank our neighbours and friends who often help us."

It is a hard existence especially for the children. Amadou suffers from eczema. His mother uses crushed leaves treat his condition.

SOUNDBITE (Soraï) Ramata Malick, displaced Malian:
"Since our arrival here in Sévaré, our children have had health problems. We have to pick leaves off the trees to make medicines. Our children don’t have enough to eat or wear.”

The recent military intervention means that many of the hundreds of thousands of displaced can start thinking about going home. But security in the region is still precarious, some roads closed off, villages cut off….so they wait.