OCHA West Africa Newsletter No. 5

Liberian refugees arrive in large numbers in Guinea
(OCHA/Guinea) - Following escalation of fighting in Liberia during the first weeks of May 2002, large numbers of refugees are currently arriving in the Southern areas of Guinea. On 16 May UNHCR thus reported that 4,300 refugees had arrived within 72 hours, with most refugees using the town of Yomou, situated 50 km southwest of the town of Nzérékoré, as the main point of entry. On 17 May, UNHCR reported that another 900 had arrived in the town of Macenta. Newly arrived refugees warned that up to 10,000 more refugees may be on their way to Guinea.

Since the populations in the two existing refugee camps in the Nzérékoré area both have reached the camps' capacity limits with the steady arrivals taking place since January 2002, the Government of Guinea has agreed to open the new site of Lainé, which is situated near the town of Lola, 42 km west of Nzérékoré. This camp will have a capacity of up to 10,000. The Government has furthermore responded rapidly by agreeing to the re-opening of the former repatriation transit center of Nona that can accommodate up to 1,200. UN agencies and implementing partners are present in the field to provide immediate assistance and to help the refugees in exercising their right to asylum.

On 17 May UNICEF sent an immediate assessment mission to the border region close to Nzérékoré, Yomou and Macenta to collect information and prepare an immediate emergency response. The mission will also assess the impact of the influx on the local Guinean communities.

An expanded UNICEF team will arrive in the field on 20 May, including Health, Education and Protection officers. The Humanitarian Coordinator and OCHA are likely to travel to the area around 21 May.

In the Inter-Agency Contingency Plan for Guinea, which is currently being finalized, the UN Country Team operates with scenarios that include influx of 10,000 and of 50,000 Liberian refugees into Guinea. A worst-case scenario reflects an influx of 100,000 Liberians. The country team is also in close contact with colleagues on the other side of the border who are monitoring the situation from their end.

Current challenges and constraints faced in Guinea in order to address the needs of old and new Liberian refugees are manifold. Lack of funding during the first months of 2002 has, for example, impeded the UN ability to foster peace initiatives in a comprehensive and sustainable manner. This has prevented UNESCO and other agencies from engaging in crucial peace promotion activities to prevent the accrued tensions reported recently between Liberian refugees and host communities.

In the area of Humanitarian Coordination insufficient funding has furthermore translated into inability for OCHA to implement its plan under the 2002 CAP. The appeal seeks to broaden the presence in this area of the country in order to facilitate coordination of field responses, comprehensive information management and early identification of unmet needs and possible sources of tensions.

During an interview with IRIN in Nzérékoré on 12 May 2002 the Humanitarian Coordinator for Guinea, Mr. Kingsley Amaning, underlined the major priority of the UN System and the international community, in particular the humanitarian community, to support the newly arrived Liberian refugees.

Sierra Leone Elections

Re-elected president, calls for unity

ABIDJAN, 20 May 2002 (IRIN) - Sierra Leonean President Ahmed Tejan Kabban was re-elected last week with 70.6 percent of the votes cast, and sworn into office on Sunday for another five years. His nearest rival, Ernest Bai Koroma, obtained 22.3 percent.

Kabbah's Sierra Leone People's Party also won 83 seats in the 122 member parliament. Koroma's All People's Congress party won 27 seats. The former rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) failed to win any seat but received 1.7 percent of the votes cast.

Calling for unity in the country during his swearing-in at the capital, Freetown, Kabbah said: I appeal to you whatever your party affiliation or symbol or ideology to join me in building a new coalition for national development". He said the elections had been "one of the most far-reaching decisions in the country's current history".

Electoral commissioner, Walter Nicol, acknowledged some delays in collecting the final results of the 14 May poll. But international observers from the Commonwealth, the European Union, the Carter Centre and the community of West African states (ECOWAS) said the polls were largely free and fair. The UN mission in the country (UNAMSIL) reported that the polls were peaceful. The Special Representative of the Secretary General, Oluyemi Adeniji, witnessed the voting in various parts of the country and said they were well organised.

Secretary General, Kofi Annan, had described the elections as "an important milestone" in the peace process.

The polls mark an end of a tumultuous period in Sierra Leone's history during which serious rights abuses- perpetrated mainly by RUF fighters- including killings, rape, torture and forced limb amputations were carried out. The war between the government and the RUF was formally declared over in January.

Only eight, out of the 23 registered political parties, met the requirements to participate in the elections. Seven of these parties had produced presidential candidates and the remaining will be satisfied to get a seat in parliament or with the idea that their party is still in the formulation stage. The process took into cognisance, the large number of Sierra Leoneans who had fled from the ten-year rebel war, now staying in the sub-region as refugees. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees facilitated the return of Sierra Leonean refugees who wished to return home to participate in the elections. They, together with DFID and USAID supported National Electoral Commission (NEC) in conducting a special registration exercise to enable the returnees to exercise their voting rights. Only returnees who arrived in the country after voter registration concluded on February 10, with UNHCR identification and proof of their return date were eligible to register in this special process.

More than 5,000 refugees were registered this way. Provisions were also made to accommodate the current resettlement process; those people who registered in their area of displacement were able to vote in their area of return by transferring their registration. The closing date for voter transfer was April 30. Other registered Sierra Leoneans also had an opportunity to transfer their votes from April 15 - 30.

Support from international partners

The EU had sent a 76-observer team to carry out an in-depth and unbiased assessment of the election process. UNAMSIL was also providing support for the success of the elections. They have incorporated an electoral component in their peacekeeping mission and recruited 30 additional Civilian Police (Civpol) advisors to help the SLPolice. The SLP have undergone training in areas including the new electoral laws, human rights violations and the role of the police in preparation for elections. The UNAMSIL radio station has provided a level ground for all political parties to air their views. They have recently published a booklet on "Elections and Human Rights" intended to boost the capacity of the SLP on human rights issues during the elections.

UNDP allocated about $1 million to help the country reach democracy. Through contributions from their partners, they are promoting public participation and supporting civic education programs to help citizens better understand the issues at stake. They were supporting the US-based National Democratic Institute in training and deploying 2,000 national election observers from political parties and civic groups on polling day. UNDP was also assisting deployment of international election observers from the Economic Community of West African States and the Organization of African Unity. UNDP has provided communications equipment to help the police maintain public security during the elections. Supported by contributions from Canada, Germany, Norway, Japan, New Zealand, Ireland and China, they had provided 12,000 ballot boxes for the electoral process.

New Briefing Packs for humanitarian staff online

The packs include basic background information, the latest humanitarian situation report, a humanitarian directory, coordination mechanisms, maps, etc. They will be updated monthly and are now available for Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The download link is: http://www.reliefweb.int/library/profiles/index.html.

More IDPs in Liberia

(OCHA/LIBERIA) - IDPs displaced from conflict zones in Liberia continue to be received in camps around Monrovia. They come on foot by the numbers often through difficult footpaths in the forest hiding for days from rebels and armed groups. Composed of mainly women and children they arrive traumatized, hungry, tired and exhausted. Once they arrive at the camps they are registered and provided shelter, emergency rations, water and sanitation facilities by humanitarian agencies. In addition they are provided both curative and preventive medical care upon arrival.

Meanwhile West African leaders, meeting in Ivory Coast's capital, appealed for an "immediate and unconditional cease-fire" in Liberia, expressing alarm at the surge in fighting there and issuing an emergency resolution n pushing talks between Liberian President Charles Taylor's government and Liberia's anti-Taylor forces. They offered Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo as mediator.

The Plight of an IDP Woman in Liberia

(OCHA/LIBERIA) - 31 year old Bindu Sesay sat on the floor in the Transit Center at Ricks IDP camp gazing at the tarpaulin roofing over her head as she nursed her three week old dehydrated son, Manna. Flanked on either side of her were her other two children; Jenneh, 5 and Nuo, 2.

They were suffering from diarrhea, fever and sore mouth. MSF- B Clinic at the camp was of great help to them. Bindu was weary of their condition. She and her children had not fully recovered following the long trek from their home town, Kowah in Swehn, Bomi.

On the Morning of 19th March they had heard shooting coming from Gbarpolu and had fled taking with them few of their belongings. They remained in the bushes surviving on wild fruits for three weeks. As the sound of heavy bombardment drew closer, they moved to Gbonekor along the Swehn-Mecca highway. According to her, upon arriving in the town, they met an old man who told them that soldiers had chased the people out of the town into the bushes. Indeed, it was deserted. Bindu was pregnant then.

Due to insecurity in the area, the family moved to Ricks IDP camp where they are awaiting registration. She hopes to be assisted with shelter, medical care, clothes and food rations.

With the death of her husband Lahai Sesay still fresh in her mind, going back home at the moment was unimaginable. He had died of illness prior to their fleeing Kowah. She misses him. He was the provider, a place now assumed by her.

Regional force might intervene in Liberia

ABIDJAN, 20 May 2002 (IRIN) - West African countries are considering creating a peacekeeping force under the auspices of their economic community (ECOWAS) to intervene in Liberia if negotiations between the government and rebels fail, President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal said on Friday, 17 May 2002.

Calling for an immediate ceasefire, Wade, who is the current ECOWAS chairman, told a news conference in Cote d'Ivoire's capital, Yamoussoukro, that his colleagues believe negotiations should be given first priority.

"We do not rule out the possibility of sending a peacekeeping force in Liberia, but we first call for an immediate and unconditional cease-fire. Then, we shall consider whether there is a need to organise a round table with all the Liberian political parties. We hope that President Charles Taylor will accept to participate," the PANA news agency quoted Wade as saying.

He said that he had been mandated by the region to seek the backing of European countries and the US towards the sub-regional organization's strategy to end the latest Liberian crisis.

Meanwhile government forces continued to beat back rebels but fresh skirmishes were reported in Tubmanburg, Bomi county over the weekend.

At least 70,000 internally displaced people and their host communities in the Liberian town of Gbarnga, 224 km north of the capital, Monrovia, fled fighting between government troops and armed opposition fighters last week, an inter-agency assessment mission reported on Thursday.

A source in Monrovia said Gbarnga, which the armed opposition fighters of Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) claimed to have taken last week, was regained by government troops mid last week. The LURD, who according to the government started fighting in 1999, have recently intensified their war against President Charles Taylor to overthrow him.

Sierra Leone Resettlement

155,000 people wish to go home

Another major non-political but national activity that has been the height of interest is the resettlement of IDPs and returnees. March 2002 marked the third phase of the resettlement process, for which 154,000 IDPs registered for resettlement to the Northern Province and the Eastern districts of Kono, Kailahun and Kenema. The resettlement process began in 2001, when over 65,000 IDPs and returnees resettled in two phases between May 2001 and February 2002. IDPs and returnees were mainly resettled within the Western Area, Southern Province, and the northwestern districts of Port Loko and Kambia. To date, all but eight of the 150 chiefdoms have been declared (by a Joint UN-Government committee) safe for resettlement. The remaining chiefdoms are all situated in the Eastern district of Kailahun along the border with Liberia and Guinea. However due to the upcoming elections, all facilitated movements will be put on hold so that people are not disenfranchised.

The resettlement programme

The most critical aspect of the programme is support to community based rehabilitation programmes in areas of return. The provision of agricultural assistance and the resumption of basic social services such as health, water and sanitation, shelter, education and income generating activities are priority interventions. Under the Government of Sierra Leone's resettlement programme, planned and implemented in partnership with UN Agencies, donors and NGOs, resettling IDPs and returnees are offered resettlement packages. This includes a two-month food ration, household utensils, plastic sheeting and where feasible transportation. IDPs registering for resettlement are offered the option of collecting their resettlement packages in the area of their choice. For those traveling long distances, way stations have been set up along the routes offering medical assistance, water, food and temporary shelter.

All agencies acknowledge the enormous challenges faced and are aware of the potential strain that returning families will pose in the areas of return. Efforts are being made to ensure that limited resources are strategically targeted to address immediate community needs before the rains. Continued support of the international community to restore basic social services and resuscitate the local economy is critical at this time to prevent potential tensions and disillusionment in the peace process.

GUINEA: UNTV Coming to Town...

UNTV will be visiting Guinea from 27 May to 1 June 2002 in order to highlight the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees in the country.

Filming will take place in both rural and urban settings in order to share impressions of the different living conditions and needs, perspectives and problems.

The UNTV documentary will provide background information on the camp conditions, assistance given, problems faced and challenges ahead. The OCHA Newsletter No. 6 will inform further on the production and its actual screening.

OCHA's Regional Support Office

OCHA will open its Regional Support Office (RSO) in Abidjan/Cote d' Ivoire on 5 June 2002.

The key functions of the Regional Support Office (RSO) include:

• To ensure an appropriate, coherent and integrated preparedness and response to actual and potential humanitarian crises in several countries in the region both, in terms of natural disasters and complex emergencies.
  
  
• To facilitate coordination between UN offices, including the regional UN offices and the SRSG's office for West Africa in Dakar/Senegal.
  
  
• To liaise with donors in particular those funding programmes in the Mano River Union and develop a fundraising strategy for the region.
  
  
• To foster programmes in the areas of early warning, preparedness and response.
  
  
• To advocate for issues of concern and develop a regional advocacy strategy.
  
  
• To provide surge capacity to OCHA MRU offices .

Two international staff members will be deployed to Abidjan and share offices with the IRIN West Africa Office.

ACF Therapeutic Feeding Center at VOA Camp

A model worth Emulating

(OCHA/LIBERIA) - ACF, in 1996, established the VOA Therapeutic Feeding Center to address the emergency nutritional needs of many children in Montserrado. To date, ACF is catering to the nutritional needs of some 1,600 moderately malnourished beneficiaries-in charge who were under the age of five at 6 supplementary feeding centers at Jartondo, Ricks, Sinje, Harbel, Kakata and VOA through its WFP weekly rations of CSB, oil and sugar. Many of these children come from areas where violence has occurred and from Monrovia and its environs.

Children between the ages of 6-59 months are screened for malnutrition by ACF field teams that later refer them to the appropriate feeding center. At the Therapeutic Feeding Center in the VOA camp, 150 of severely malnourished children-in charge present cases of Marasmus and Kwashiorko are treated for up to two months based on specific products for malnutrition, especially Therapeutic Milk. These severely malnourished cases are referred to hospitals when the need arises. In situations where operation and or blood transfusion are necessary, ACF seeks the consent of the family prior to making the transfer. All bills are borne by ACF. ACF has determined that many of these children are vulnerable due to poverty as a result of lack of skill and a steady income on the part of the parents, many of whom can not afford a meal per day. Early feeding with adult food to children under five was also contributing to them being malnourished. Some other children were receiving less milk and more water when fed with bottled milk. Most of the mothers who were between the ages of 16 and 19 were single parents, often abandoning their children because they did not want the responsibility of taking care of them. Often the children were left with grand parents who could not fen for themselves.

Kula Sirleaf who fled Gbarpolu during the March attack and moved to Bong Mines and later to Kakata, is a beneficiary of ACF's program. She attests to her four year old son's marked improvement since the outreach team brought them to the VOA TFC on 26th March. Little Rufus Sirleaf is at phase 3, meaning that he is fit to go home. Before then his swollen feet had burst rendering him unable to walk. The VOA Therapeutic Feeding Center has also touched the life of Kula Saah, originally from Bomi but fled due to the 7th February attack on Klay, was spending time with her sister in Soniwein, an urban slum in central Monrovia. At birth, her baby was well. However, his condition deteriorated as a result of feeding him with glucose twice daily due to lack of breast milk and the inability to buy produced milk in the absence of a job. The resulting condition was sunk-in-eyes, restlessness, fever and loss of weight. She had heard about the TFC at VOA and made her way there. With a regular supply of Therapeutic milk and health education to generate her own breast milk, Kula's baby was improving. Her major concern is being able to cope after she had left the center. ACF has a follow-up program for up to six months, which provides supplementary rations weekly. ACF is convinced that health education is a key to ensuring that children who leave the center would be properly cared for, while encouraging the parent to take steps aimed at generating income to maintain the nutritional status of their children that was obtained while at the VOA feeding center.

Although ACF has Therapeutic Feeding Center in Bong, the VOA Therapeutic Feeding Center is the only center for severely malnourished children in Montserrado. Due to the concentration of IDPs in the Capital, judging from the fact that most of the children at the Center come from Bomi, Lofa, Bopolu, Bong Mines and Kakata where violence has occurred, and that the level of poverty existing in Montserrado seem to be on a rise due to IDP movement as a consequence of instability, should there be a worse case senario, wherein ACF is unable to continue the therapeutic program, many Liberian children under the age of five years could die due to neglect.

As a way of ensuring that therapeutic feeding continued, ACF has trained staff and equipped some 34 Ministry of Health Clinics around Montserrado to conduct monthly growth monitoring and referral of cases to ACF Therapeutic Feeding Centers. Under the supervision of ACF, 16 of these clinics provide their own supplementary feeding for moderately malnourished children while severely malnourished children are referred to the VAO Therapeutic Feeding Center. At present, ACF is supported by the U.S. Bureau of Population Refugee and Migration (BPRM), and is willing to continue during the emergency period. At the same time, ACF is preparing the nutritional future in the national health network and hopes that the situation will be stable and satisfactory in terms of malnutrition rate in Liberia.

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