The Children's Ward

Synopsis

Documentary about two children who have been directly affected by wars in their respective countries.

Six-year-old Murtaza took a landmine home to play with and it blew up in his hand, a familiar story in Afghanistan where one child is killed or injured every day by unexploded munitions.

Fifteen-year-old Yagoub suffers from rheumatic heart disease, which if left untreated is life-threatening. Refugees from Sudan's 20 years of unrest, his family are unable to pay for treatment at the local hospital, giving him little more than six months to live.

This moving film follows the stories of these two resilient boys and the efforts of the remarkable Italian NGO Emergency to give them back their futures.

Credits

Director

Fabrizio Lazzaretti

Director

Santolini Paolo

Broadcasts

1. Mon 9 Mar 2009
   22:30
   BBC Four
2. Tue 10 Mar 2009
   02:25
   BBC Four