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JORDAN / ZAA’TARI CAMP
STORY: JORDAN / ZAA’TARI CAMP
TRT: 2.58
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE; ARABIC/ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: JULY 28TH 2013, ZA’ATARI CAMP, JORDAN
1. Wide shot, mother and son walking in the desert
2. Wide shot, tents at Za’atari
3. Med shot, people walking
4. Close up, little girl playing in the sand
5. Med shot, two girls walking into the desert
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrew Harper, Jordan Representative, UNHCR:
"What this piece of Jordanian desert has offered the Syrian population is the means to be safe. Just in the last three months we have accommodated 350,000 Syrians. 200,000 of which have subsequently moved into the urban environment. We have a 120,000 people here now. It has served its job.”
7. Wide shot,bread distribution
8. Close up, bread
9. Med shot, water distribution
10. Med shot, Kuwaiti distribution
11. Close up, distribution
12. Close up, Kuwaiti logo
13. Med shot, family watching TV
14. Close up, TV
15. Med shot, man and children watching TV
16. Med shot, old lady watching TV
17. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sultan, refugee:
"What’s certain is that we are safe here. Because it’s a different nation and there are borders so we cannot be shelled or attacked. This was always what we were looking for. We wanted to keep everyone safe…our children and our elders. That’s the most important thing, to take care of your family and that’s what brought us to Za’atari. ”
18. Med shot, refugees walking around
19. Close up, girls playing
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Guterres, High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR:
"I think that one year afterwards it is important to recognize that a lot has been done; education, health, and shelter, water sanitation. All these things have improved but let’s be clear. Not only is there still a lot to do. But even if Za’atari was perfect… it will always be a horrible place to live a refugee camp is never a solution.”
21. Med shot, of people walking
22. Med shot, of boy flying kite
23. Wide shot, kite
Many said the site wasn’t suitable for a camp deep in the desert of north Jordan.
But a year on, Za’atari is a bustling settlement carved into the sands.
At the start, the goal was to provide a temporary residence for a few thousand refugees.
But as the conflict raged on in Syria the numbers grew and grew.
Today Za’atari is a sprawling 9 kilometer settlement, the second biggest refugee camp in the world.
SOUNDBITE (English) Andrew Harper, Jordan Representative, UNHCR:
"What this piece of Jordanian desert has offered the Syrian population is the means to be safe. Just in the last three months we have accommodated 350,000 Syrians. 200,000 of which have subsequently moved into the urban environment. We have a 120,000 people here now. It has served its job.”
The day-to-day running of a camp of this scale is a massive operation.
More then 500,000 loaves of bread and over 3.8 million litres of water are distributed here every day.
The site continues to expand made possible in part by the generosity of the donor nations.
This Ramadan, the Gulf nation of Kuwait donated 47 million dollars for shelter, health and sanitation.
This funding improves the lives of families like Sultan’s.
SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sultan, Syrian Refugee:
"What’s certain is that we are safe here. Because it’s a different nation and there are borders so we cannot be shelled or attacked. This was always what we were looking for. We wanted to keep everyone safe…our children and our elders. That’s the most important thing, to take care of your family and that’s what brought us to Za’atari.”
In its one year in operation Za’atari can claim that is a place that has kept people alive.
SOUNDBITE (English) Antonia Guterres High Commissioner for Refugees:
“I think that one year afterwards it is important to recognize that a lot has been done; education, health, and shelter, water sanitation. All these things have improved but let’s be clear. Not only is there still a lot to do. But even if Zaatari was perfect… it will always be a horrible place to live, a refugee camp is never a solution.”
Indeed Za’atari’s anniversary is a bittersweet time.
No matter what’s achieved the camp is a reflection of an ongoing tragedy.
No one here is hoping for a second anniversary.
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