STORY: Refugees, host communities stage walk in Kenya in show of solidarity
SHOOTING TIME: June 19, 2024
DATELINE: June 20, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:56
LOCATION: KAKUMA, Kenya
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of refugees walking in communities in Kakuma
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): NANDURI SATEESH, Head of the UNHCR-Kenya sub-office in Kakuma
4. various of refugees walking in communities in Kakuma
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): AJANG NYUOP BOL, Refugee community leader in Kakuma Refugee Camp
6. drone shot of the Kakuma Refugee Camp

STORYLINE:

Refugees based in Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwestern Kenya, host communities, and government officials on Wednesday staged a march organized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)-Kenya in support of solidarity amid the rising influx of refugees.

Nanduri Sateesh, head of the UNHCR-Kenya sub-office in Kakuma, said the three-km walk symbolized the unity that has prevailed between the host communities and the more than 20 refugee nationalities hosted in Kenya.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): NANDURI SATEESH, Head of the UNHCR-Kenya sub-office in Kakuma
"Kakuma is the best place we are standing into today, where the government of Kenya and the county government of Turkana and as well as the people of Kenya and Turkana welcome the refugees and embrace them for the last three decades here in Kakuma. This also shows our appreciation to the government of Kenya, government of Turkana and also the people of Kenya, our heartfelt gratitude and standing in solidarity with refugees, and also the spirit of passion and unity as a community coming together and working towards a peaceful and prosperous society."

"We have demonstrated that standing together can create a welcoming and supportive environment for refugees, celebrating their strengths and contributions while acknowledging the challenges they face," Sateesh said, adding that the walk signifies that all the relevant stakeholders are committed to building a better, more inclusive world for all.

Kakuma Refugee Camp is the country's second-largest camp, hosting about 288,000 refugees from nine countries, including South Sudan, Ethiopia, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The UNHCR also hailed Kenya for its continued support and solidarity, which have been crucial in providing a haven for refugees since 1992.

Ajang Nyuop Bol, a community leader for refugees in Kakuma Refugee Camp, urged the government and development partners to carry forward the spirit of solidarity and strive for a world where refugees and host communities work together to overcome the hurdles they encounter on a daily basis.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): AJANG NYUOP BOL, Refugee community leader in Kakuma Refugee Camp
"I really appreciate the government of Kenya, they have been with us since July 1992 up to date. It is important that they are with us but we appreciate the way they are and the way we are living here."

The 39-year-old refugee from South Sudan added that displaced persons fleeing their homelands require support from local communities to fulfill their socioeconomic potential.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nairobi, Kenya.
(XHTV)