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STORY: SYRIA / DROUGHT
TRT: 1.44
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 19 NOVEMBER 2009, SALAMIEH, SYRIA
1. Wide shot, arid landscape with motorbike passing
2. Wide shot, landscape
3. Med shot, dry ground
4. Med shot, family in town
5. Med shot, interior, new water plant
6. Close up, water supply rushing out of pipe
7. Med shot, residents hold banner for inauguration of plant
8. Close up, young boy with UNICEF flag
9. Close up, banner welcoming Danish ambassador
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Christina Markus Lassen, Ambassador, Denmark:
“The speed which has characterized the construction of this plant has been remarkable and suits to urgency of clean water. I’m sure that the speed and effectiveness of this process has been due to a motivated group of people all striving for the same purpose.”
11. Wide shot, delegation listening to ceremony launching water plant
12. Close up, Danish Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen
13. Med shot, plaque of Al Qantara plant
14. Med shot, drought plain
15. Wide shot, old well
16. Wide shot, well
17. Med shot, old well
18. Med shot, machinery of new reverse osmosis unit
19. Close up, gauges on reverse osmosis unit
20. Med shot, girls playing outside school
21. Close up, water tap
22. SOUNDBITE (English) Sherazade Boualia, UNICEF Representative: “But now that the plant is almost fully working water is available for the drinking and also for the cleaning and use in the toilets, which basically reduces the stress that the students the teachers had when there was a lack of water.”
23. Med shot, villagers outside
24. Close up, young boy
25. Close up, water tap with running water
26. Med shot, girl drinking from water tap
27. Wide shot, schoolgirls playing outside school
Time is running short for farmers in drought stricken Syria.
Poor rains have caused crop failure and reduced grazing pastures in much of the country.
Here in the central Governate of Hama, a new water station unit has been unveiled to secure a safe water supply for 120,000 residents.
The project of the Ministry of Housing and the Governate of Hama was funded in part by UNICEF and the Embassy of Denmark.
SOUNDBITE (English) Christina Markus Lassen, Ambassador, Denmark:
“The speed which has characterized the construction of this plant has been remarkable and suits to urgency of clean water. I’m sure that the speed and effectiveness of this process has been due to a motivated group of people all striving for the same purpose.”
Forty years ago the Al Qantara water plant processed water from the Al Assi River. Drought and climate change has severely depleted the river, leaving local communities dependent on wells.
Today, the water from these wells comes from a depth of 600 meters –the new reverse osmosis plant, cleans the water of dangerous levels of sulphur.
At the Ismail Salibi school, there had been no water supply at all …
SOUNDBITE (English) Sherazade Boualia, UNICEF Representative: “But now that the plant is almost fully working water is available for the drinking and also for the cleaning and use in the toilets, which basically reduces the stress that the students the teachers had when there was a lack of water.”
Both the World Food Program (WFP) and the UN Syria drought response plan have reported serious funding shortfalls in coping with the impact of the drought.
Government and UN assessments reveal a dire situation in much of the country for the health of children dependent on well water.
