Ethiopia: children disproportionately affected by weapon contamination
Rural areas of northern Ethiopia that have experienced heavy fighting in the past years remain heavily contaminated by unexploded ordnance. Weapon contamination poses severe risks for civilians, especially children.
"We have served 243 UXO victims, and it is only the tip of the iceberg because there are people and injuries that are beyond the scope of our practice. Among the beneficiaries we have served, around 80 percent are children," said Venkatakannan Packirisamy, who manages the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) physical rehabilitation program in Ethiopia. The program provides mobility devices and physical rehabilitation services to people with disabilities, focusing on the regions affected by armed conflicts.
Millions of people live and work in areas with a heavy presence of unexploded ordnance. The continuous threat leads to profound psychological consequences and affects all areas of life, hampering educational and economic opportunities, as well as access to vital resources like agricultural land and water.
"She is traumatized by what happened. When she walks around, she does not go far. She is afraid because of the explosion," says Tabir Gebreyohannes, whose eight-year-old daughter was injured after stepping on an unexploded device. "There is a real threat. It is difficult to leave children and do some work. You worry that one of them will pick or step on them. We are very worried."
Weapon contamination seriously affects food production in regions that suffer from food insecurity and high malnutrition rates, especially among new mothers and children under the age of five.
The ICRC together with Ethiopian Red Cross Society works with the affected communities to raise awareness and reduce the risk. It also urges the authorities and international actors to proceed with clearance work, a task of tremendous proportions, especially in places where conflicts are still ongoing. All stakeholders must do more to protect communities from the indiscriminate harm caused by these weapons.
For further information please contact:
Alyona Synenko, ICRC Nairobi, +254716897265, asynenko@icrc.org
Follow the ICRC on facebook.com/icrc and twitter.com/icrc
LOGLIST
20240924_ETHIOPIA_UXO - LOGLIST
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Production Number
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20240924 |
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On-screen credit |
ICRC |
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Shooting date
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02.09.2024 – 06.09.2024 |
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Country/Location
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Ethiopia, Tigray region (Hibret, Shire, Adwa, Newi) |
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Language
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English, Tigrinya |
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Producer |
Alyona Synenko |
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Video Cameraperson
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Chris Sang |
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Photographer |
Alyona Synenko |
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Copyright / Details of restriction if applicable |
ICRC |
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Comments / brief overview of content |
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TIME CODE |
LOCATION / IMAGE / TIMECODED TRANSCRIPT OF SOUNDBITES |
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00:00:00:00 --> 00:00:13:17
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Shots of vehicles destroyed during the conflict on the outskirts of Adwa, Tigray.
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00:00:13:17 ---> 00:00:18:18
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Shot of destroyed military equipment on the side of the road between Adwa and Newi.
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00:00:18:18 ---> 00:00:23:16
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Shot of an unexploded ordnance (UXO) lodged in a road with ICRC vehicles in the background.
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00:00:23:16 ----> 00:00:28:23
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Close up shot of an unexploded ordnance (UXO) lodged in a road.
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00:00:28:23 ----> 00:00:39:23
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Shot of ICRC weapon contamination (WEC) specialist inspecting UXO and taking notes.
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00:00:39:23 ----> 00:00:47:19
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Shot of ICRC vehicles enroute to Newi. |
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00:00:47:19 ----> 00:01:10:26
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ICRC WEC team arrives in Newi.
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00:01:10:26 ----> 00:01:15:15
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Shot of people walking on a road in Newi.
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00:01:15:15 ----> 00:01:25:21
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Shot of UXOs on the side of a road in Newi. |
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Low angle shot of people and animals walking near UXOs.
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00:01:32:29 ----> 00:01:37:05
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Shot of a pile of UXOs in a bush.
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00:01:37:06 ----> 00:01:43:07
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SOUNDBITE: Fidele Etsora, ICRC Weapon Contamination (WEC) Specialist “This was one of the regions which was most affected by active conflict.
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00:01:43:07 ----> 00:01:51:12
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There have been shelling, shooting, which left behind explosive remnants of war in the areas.
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00:01:51:12 ----> 00:01:55:02
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And the presence of these explosive devices,
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00:01:55:02 ----> 00:02:00:27
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it creates fear in the community, and people can't move,
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00:02:00:27 ----> 00:02:05:09
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and it creates restriction, especially for the kids,
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00:02:05:09 ----> 00:02:10:07
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who need more attention from their parents.
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00:02:10:12 ----> 00:02:16:07
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It's really some stressful situation which I read, I observe,
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00:02:16:07 ----> 00:02:21:07
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and people don't have any other alternative
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00:02:21:07 ----> 00:02:28:29 |
than to increase their resilience while working in this contaminated environment.”
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00:02:29:04 ----> 00:02:34:13
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Shot of Tabir Gebreyohannes and her Children walking home in Newi.
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00:02:34:13 ----> 00:02:38:25 |
Shot of Tabir's house in Newi.
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00:02:38:25 ----> 00:02:44:01 |
Shot of a chicken and chicks outside Tabir’s house.
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00:02:44:02 ----> 00:02:47:21 |
SOUNDBITE: Tabir Gebreyohannes, whose daughter was a UXO victim “I was in church when the accident happened.
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00:02:47:27 ----> 00:02:52:16
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I hurried home as soon as I heard the blast. |
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00:02:52:17----> 00:02:58:20 |
The people who were there bandaged her. She was unconscious. |
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00:02:59:06----> 00:03:06:03 |
When she walks, I would say she has a disability. Her one leg lags whenever she walks. |
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00:03:06:27 ----> 00:03:11:16
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She is afraid. She is traumatized by what happened.
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00:03:11:25 ----> 00:03:16:19
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When she walks around, she does not go far. |
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00:03:16:25 ----> 00:03:21:08 |
The metals (referring to the unexploded ordnance) are not cleared yet.
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00:03:21:09 ----> 00:03:24:21 |
We are afraid to leave the children behind to go to work. |
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00:03:24:22 ---> 00:03:27:20 |
The likelihood of them stepping on the explosives is very high.” |
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00:03:28:05 ----> 00:03:33:10 |
Close up shot of Tabir's daughter who was injured by a UXO
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00:03:33:10 ----> 00:03:39:21 |
Close up shot of Tabir in her house.
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00:03:39:22 ----> 00:03:56:04
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Shots of Tabir preparing to cook a meal for her family.
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00:03:57:18 ----> 00:04:26:15 |
Various shots of UXOs littered around Newi.
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00:04:26:16 ----> 00:04:40:22 |
Shots of ICRC WEC delegate and Ethiopia Red Cross Society (ERCS) volunteer putting up a hazard warning sign at a UXO pile location in Newi. |
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00:04:40:23 ----> 00:05:07:15
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Various shots of ICRC WEC team and ERCS Volunteer conducting a risk awareness & safe behavior session with children in Newi.
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00:05:07:16 ----> 00:05:13:07 |
Shot of a donkey loaded with goods walking on the road in Newi.
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00:05:13:08 ----> 00:05:23:22 |
Shots of a shop in Newi with people standing outside it.
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00:05:23:23 ----> 00:05:26:26
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SOUNDBITE: Tikue Mekonnen, a shop owner in Newi We are witnessing it, the explosives have claimed lives.
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00:05:27:00 ---> 00:05:31:25 |
We are worried that it could put us at more risk. |
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00:05:31:26 ---> 00:05:35:06 |
But as I told you, apart from our home, where else can we go. |
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00:05:35:10 ---> 00:05:40:11 |
We wait for experts to come and clear the area. |
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00:05:40:18 ---> 00:05:42:08 |
It is impacting us. |
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00:05:42:09 ---> 00:05:45:06 |
Saturday is market day. |
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00:05:45:06 ---> 00:05:50:01 |
We are terrified but we can’t avoid coming to the market. |
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00:05:50:07 ---> 00:05:53:25 |
The explosives are piled in different places. |
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00:05:53:26 ---> 00:06:04:01 |
Despite our fears, we remain optimistic that nothing bad will happen.” |
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00:06:05:00 ----> 00:06:12:10
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SOUNDBITE: Fidele Etsora, ICRC Weapon Contamination (WEC) Specialist “We, as the ICRC, we advocate to the international mine action organisation,
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00:06:12:11 ----> 00:06:19:07 |
including the government to put the clearance as a priority for the community, |
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so the community need to get freedom, they need to get access for their resources, |
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00:06:26:21 ----> 00:06:34:10 |
to their land, to increase their income in this current situation in Tigray.” |
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00:06:34:19 ----> 00:06:39:18 |
Establishing shot of mothers and children outside a health post in Hibret. |
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00:06:39:19 ----> 00:06:44:19 |
Close up of a child having their nutrition status assessed.
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00:06:44:20 ----> 00:06:50:02 |
Close up shot of ICRC staff taking records.
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00:06:50:03 ----> 00:07:02:11 |
Shots of women receiving rations of Plumpy’Nut
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00:07:02:12 ----> 00:07:12:25 |
A mother feeds her child with Plumpy'Nut. |
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00:07:12:26 ----> 00:07:23:22
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SOUNDBITE: Venkatakannan Packirisamy , ICRC Physical Rehabilitation Project Manager, Ethiopia. “We have served 243 UXO victims in the projects that is closer to the accidental areas that is UXO victims.
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00:07:24:08 ----> 00:07:30:11
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It is only a tip of the iceberg because what we have served is people with physical disabilities that is 243,
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00:07:30:21 ----> 00:07:38:08
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meaning there are people and injuries which is beyond the scope of our practice which is like visceral injuries or facial injuries
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00:07:38:09 ----> 00:07:44:00
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and their number might be even more in terms of people who did not make it to the hospital
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or who have not left the hospital. |
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00:07:46:03 ----> 00:07:54:14
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So, out of the victims and out of the persons, beneficiaries that we have served around 80 percent of them are children
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00:07:54:21 ----> 00:07:59:26
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because these are people who are curious, who are playful
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00:07:59:27 ----> 00:08:11:18 |
and they come across these contaminated areas because at some point of time nearly for about 3 years even the educational institutions were closed. |
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00:08:11:20 ----> 00:08:15:24
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this makes children more vulnerable out of curiosity,
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00:08:15:25 ----> 00:08:21:28
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out of educational institutions being closed and they are not aware of this danger.”
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00:08:21:29 ----> 00:08:30:12
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Establishing shots of ICRC Shire Physical Rehabilitation Satellite Clinic.
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00:08:30:12 ----> 00:08:51:13
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Various shots of Birhane receiving treatment from ICRC Physical Rehabilitation staff.
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00:08:51:16 ----> 00:08:54:19
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SOUNDBITE: Birhane Haile, UXO Victim “I was returning home from the market in the evening,
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00:08:54:20 ---> 00:08:58:04 |
I found kids gathered and were playing with a scrap of metal. |
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00:08:58:14 ---> 00:09:03:19 |
I jumped up and went to stop them, I thought it was a bomb. |
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00:09:03:20 ---> 00:09:05:12 |
They were about seven kids. |
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00:09:05:13 ---> 00:09:09:12 |
I told them not to play with it because it is dangerous. |
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00:09:09:17 ---> 00:09:13:18 |
They regrouped after I left, |
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00:09:13:24 ---> 00:09:16:20
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Then I chased the kids away and grabbed the bomb to throw it |
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00:09:16:24 ---> 00:09:19:08
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and exploded in my hand. |
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00:09:20:14 ---> 00:09:29:02 |
If I hadn’t stopped, all the children could have died. |
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00:09:29:16 ---> 00:09:34:29 |
It is good that I was the only one injured. |
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00:09:35:22 ---> 00:09:41:11 |
My hope was to work, change myself and support my family. |
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00:09:41:12 ---> 00:09:45:02 |
Unfortunately, this accident happened.” |
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00:09:58:26 ---> 00:10:01:01 |
Right now there is nothing I can do, |
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00:10:01:07 ---> 00:10:03:02 |
I’m just sitting around. |
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00:10:03:12 ---> 00:10:07:14 |
Everything is done by another person; I even must be fed by someone else. |
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00:10:08:11 ---> 00:10:13:26 |
I am worried a lot about the condition I’m in, |
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00:10:14:26 ---> 00:10:20:04 |
I have nothing left but my life.” |
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00:10:20:21 ----> 00:10:26:10 |
Close up shot of Birhane's injured hands.
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00:10:26:11 ----> 00:10:33:05 |
Close up of Birhane's face.
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00:10:33:06 ----> 00:10:49:25 |
Various shots of Birhane walking and testing his prosthetic leg. |
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00:10:49:26 ----> 00:11:04:21 |
Shots of Birhane's home in Adwa.
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00:11:04:22 ----> 00:11:30:12 |
Shots of Birhane at his home in Adwa.
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00:11:30:12 ----> 00:11:36:20
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SOUNDBITE: Venkatakannan Packirisamy, ICRC Physical Rehabilitation Project Manager, Ethiopia. “There is a lot of psychological impact, even a social impact that is not only grief,
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00:11:36:21 ----> 00:11:41:23
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but also, certain level of anger among these children who are playing together, who are friends.
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00:11:41:24 ----> 00:11:45:20
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When somebody has mishandled, somebody might have warned, but it was ignored,
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00:11:45:25 ----> 00:11:50:11
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but then it has these repercussions, and it will stay for a long time in their lives.
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00:11:50:12 ----> 00:11:53:18
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So, it is not just a medical issue, not that the physical issue,
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but also, a greater extent of psychological and social impact because of these UXOs.”
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END |
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