Inter-agency press conference on humanitarian activities in Liberia: 23 Sep 2003

Place: UNDP CONFERENCE ROOM
Guests: Mr. Ross Mountain, UN Special Humanitarian Coordinator for Liberia; Dr. Omar Khatib, Country Representative of WHO; Mr. Justin Bagirishya, Country Representative WFP; Mr. Moses Okello, UNHCR; Mr. Cyrille Niameogo, Country Representative UNICEF, Elizabeth Odour-Noah, Deputy Representative UNDP and Mr. Deji Popoola, Country Representative UNFPA

Opening Statement: Mr. Ross Mountain -- UN Special Humanitarian Coordinator for Liberia

You may be aware that last Wednesday a draft resolution was introduced into the Security Council following the presentation of the report of the Secretary General by the SRSG Jacque Klein. Following that presentation there was the opportunity for questions and answers and an opportunity for those of us concerned with Humanitarian Affairs to make the presentation on humanitarian issues that Liberia confronts and indeed in that presentation couple of the points I did emphasize were: while we have a range of vulnerable groups who deserve priority support they being the internally displaced, the children, the potential ex-combatants, women who suffered very badly-in fact in Liberia as you heard me say before that virtually every Liberian has been affected by the conflict. We need to have an integrated approach dealing the conflict with the humanitarian dimension of reintegration.

I know that the rapid build up by the UN agencies and our NGO partners over the last four or five weeks and the spread of the assistance being offered by the humanitarian community not just in Monrovia, but also up country. In the last week there has been a mission to Harper by the boat of the World Food Program, which went very well. That's in Model's territory as you may be aware. There is a mission on going today cross border into to Zwedru in MODEL territory. We have continued missions into LURD territory towards Tubmanburg and further into Lofa and Bomi Counties. These efforts are continuing and would be expanded into areas that we go to. I will ask my colleague of WFP to talk about the food distribution that we have been able to do up country. If I may mention here one of our problems before was that many of the internally displaced we were trying to reach were concerned that if we distribute it to them, the fighters would come and take the food and so we have had to pull back on that one. Now we seem to reach some understanding that is allowing us to do other distributions.

I also emphasized the widespread looting that had a lot of features of the conflict. The problem of skirmishes such as I just alluded to and the additional difficulty dealing with the fighters notwithstanding the agreement reached by the leadership gaining access to territory as being ascribed to by both government, LURD and MODEL that many of the people at the checkpoints are not aware of it and were themselves not receiving money or food and were jealous of any kind of distribution.

So this was the main focus that we were able to put forward in welcoming the agreement. What did come out of the resolution was the 15,000-troop deployment. Since the humanitarian issue was pressing, we were unable to wait until this full deployment throughout Liberia and that we therefore needed to move on the basis of negotiated access that we will be working on today.

The resolution it self that came out on Friday is if I may say so is an extremely rich and good resolution. I am sure SRSG Klein would speak for the military side. But I want to confine my comments to the humanitarian side very extensive reference to the suffering of the Liberian people throughout the long conflict; the need for great humanitarian assistance, concern for violations for human rights, and concern about limited access of humanitarian actors. The resolution goes on to not only establish the mission that we all are familiar with but to emphasize the importance of putting in place a DDR program. A plan should be established within a month following the adoption of the resolution to ensure that not only there is protection of UN and humanitarian but also to protect "civilians under eminent threat of physical violence within its capabilities, support humanitarian and human rights assistance and to support the establishment of civil administration including the proper administration of natural resources". There were specific demands for protection of children in armed conflict and demand that all parties cease the use of child soldiers and all human rights violations and atrocities against the Liberian populations and stressed the need to bring to justice those responsible.

I won't go through this in detail but to say it is a rich resolution and again not just from the peacekeeping context but also from the point of view as humanitarians. Here we believe it is extremely helpful working with what was adopted unanimously and that gives full authorization for the launching of this mission. Hopefully for the attraction of international support that will be required for its implementation.

I did have the opportunity going out through Cote D'Ivoire and coming in through Conakry. I spoke with the chairman of LURD in Conakry and the Chairman of MODEL in Cote D'Ivoire who reaffirm in particular their commitment in trying to provide security and encouraging us to move into their areas of control. We regard this as very important. We obviously still need to move with care to ensure that the commanders at the checkpoints are aware of that Commitment. On the face of it we have been operating for practically a month I would say into MODEL and LURD territories. And while we have had some problems at some checkpoints we have not had a serious incident so far. We regard that as a positive development as one we will build on.

Q&A

On the issue of non-deployment of peacekeepers before accessing other areas and security concerns

Respondent: Ross Mountain

I hope you heard me say that we cannot wait. We are not waiting for the full deployment quite on the contrary. As a basis of negotiated access that we are moving forward now and it has been so for the last month. We are not waiting for the deployment of ECOMIL and the deployment of United Nations forces. We realize that there can be delay between the passing of the resolution and actually getting the troops on the ground. So, no! We are not waiting. We are pursuing efforts across line if you will and indeed across border. I mentioned Cote D'Ivoire and Sierra Leone but we are also looking at coming in from the Guinean border.

On the issue of inconsistency between the Accra Peace Agreement on the one hand that gives amnesty to those who committed atrocities against Liberians and on the other hand the Draft Resolution calling for justice to be meted against those who committed atrocities against the Liberian people.

Respondent: Ross Mountain

I am not a specialist on that I would be extremely surprised if there was any cross preferences on that. I am sure that since it was being specifically established the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. I would be extremely surprised if there was any difference of views. It does make reference as I said to the need to bring to justice those responsible for violations against the Liberian Population. I am not a specialist on that. Jacque Klein would be back later in the week and he'll be the best person to deal with that I would think.

On the issue of accessing other areas

Respondent: Ross Mountain

As I said, our colleagues went into Harper by boat last week. They have intention to return later this week to Harper. There is a mission going into Zwedru today and the only thing that's holding us up in crossing over to Sierra Leone is the bad road condition on the Sierra Leonean side. We are now looking at the issue of Lofa. It's the matter of logistics. Provided the security guarantees that we have been obviously given, when tested, hold. It's very important.

On the issue of LURD and MODEL taking steps to ensure command structure at the checkpoint level receives instructions to allow humanitarian access to their area.

Respondent: Ross Mountain

We've been very pleased that some of the leadership on both sides have in fact been moving inside and according to the results we have seen have been making this point. For example, when we went to Harper that was immediately after the visit to the Chairman of MODEL and they were well aware of our coming. They were well aware of the agreement and we were very well received so we are also aware that the Secretary General of LURD has also been moving around giving this message. That we find as positive. We are also grateful to radio stations like your own that have broadcast the text of this agreement to try and reach out to get a wider range of people aware in the various languages of these security efforts.

Respondent: Cyrille Niameogo UNICEF

As the Humanitarian coordinator just said - the way I understand it is that the mission have been given the mandate to monitor human rights violation in the country. So when the troops are on the ground, they would do that all over the country. Any human rights violation that will be registered by the UN troops on the ground will be reported to the Secretary General. That's the way I understand the mandate given to the troops and this is the same for any peacekeeping mission throughout the world. They have that mandate to monitor human rights violation and they are the ones to be reporting to the Secretary General and the Security Council.

On the issue of the non-deployment of ECOMIL in Buchanan and on the UN Draft Resolution on UN peacekeeping mission to Liberia, what do you consider as "rich"

Respondent: Ross Mountain

I would think you could address the first question to ECOMIL but remember they are very limited in the number of the troops they have but I would suggest you speak to E COMIL. The richness that I have underlined relates to the strong reference to the humanitarian concerns and how support can be given to the humanitarian community in facing up to the crisis we are trying to tackle collectively in Liberia. Secondly, the issue of human rights that our colleague has just spoken on and the emphasis they put on that. There are other aspects you will find in the resolution. You will see for yourself. But it also talks about security reforms implementation of the peace process that is much more the responsibility of the Representative of the SG whom I'm sure will address that when he returns.

On the issue of the restoration of electricity to Monrovia within two weeks as indicated by Jacque Klein which did not happen after several weeks.

Respondent: Ross Mountain

The problem seems to be spare parts. We provided fuel for it. But I don't know whether my colleagues have more information on that?

Respondent: Cyrille Niamego UNICEF

I know that the EU is providing some support to the LEC.

Respondent: Ross Mountain

We are concerned as you are that gets started.

On the issue of IDPs indicating that since their return to the camps they have not been fed except that they have been given cornmeal

Respondent: Moses Okello UNHCR

But Cornmeal is food.

Respondent: Ross Mountain

I think the issue of rice is coming in (laughter)

On the issue of about 95% of the population in Monrovia being affected by war vis-à-vis the distribution of food to all populations not just IDPs

Respondent: Justin Bagirishya WFP

I will try to address the concerns of our colleagues with respect to food distribution. This system goes back as far as 16 August when food distribution started for different categories of beneficiaries. So far, we have been able to reach Totota where 56, 000 people are living and those 65, 000 people are being provided food rations. In Salala as you know, following our food distribution, a second distribution for 37, 000 people is now being considered. In Buchanan together with CRS our implementing partner, we have now been able to reach 20, 700 beneficiaries out of the 31, 000 who had been planned to receive food assistance. As we speak, yesterday we started food distribution in Wilson Corner Camp in Montserrado County. Maybe some of you may just make a small trip to the camps, not very far, and report on what is going on there. Yesterday we were able to distribute food to about 3, 000 people in Wilson Camp. Our plans are to reach 31, 000 people there.

As you can see, practically in one month we have been able to reach 160, 000 IDPs with food rations. This does not include 430, 000 who were reached with maize meal rations that our colleagues said is food. I like it myself. So, we are making some progress. We have not been perfect. We have not been able to speed up the process as we had liked because of the deployment and due to fear of what happened in the past, we hope does not happen in the present. We are all aware that in Montserrado County particular food distributions were interrupted or beneficiaries were attacked following food distribution. Now this is not happening and we hope it is not going to happen. We are planning to continue food distribution in the Montserrado camps. If we complete the exercise of registration and verification of the numbers, tomorrow we will start with Jartondo camp where about 16, 000 people are sheltering and Siegbeh where we have 14, 000 people. So we are not sitting idle.

Concomitantly, we have together with SCF implemented a food distribution for all children under five in Monrovia. These children have been given a take home ration composed of CSB, Sugar and Oil and to prevent it being taken by somebody we mixed the whole thing to make it difficult for anybody to sell it. The second round of "under five" distribution started last Wednesday and is still going on. Our intention is to move from Monrovia and repeat this kind of intervention in the Montserrado camps together with SCF, the same exercise till be conducted in Bong Camps together with MSF-F this week. In Buchanan we have planned the same exercise with Merlin.

If there is problem in the assessment in various places, we follow it up with plans to targeted distribution outside Monrovia and outside the IDP camps.

As Ross has mentioned, we are following up the mission to Harper with another mission this week and we hope the categories which had been identified as most vulnerable will be able to receive their assistance soon. The same applies to Tubmanburg. Now the question that has been raised: what are you doing there for those in Monrovia who are not willing to go back to those camps are you going to abandoned them? No! There are a series of interventions that have been designed to protect those who are going to stay in Monrovia. The first one is the school feeding. This will be complemented with take home rations for each girl going to school and this will inject food into their families.

The second intervention is that we will complement the feeding of "under five" children with a take home ration for the household. This is in addition to the previous that I mentioned. So that as many as possible household can have access to food. This is a new initiative. Food-for-work. As NGOs come up with proposal for food-for-work we are responding to them with food to support their actions. We have discussed with Mercy Corps and we are even going to start interventions outside Monrovia.

Our feeding in hospitals, orphanages and homes for elderly, will continue in Monrovia and outside. Supplementary feeding will also continue. As you know supplementary feeding brings in pregnant women, lactating mothers and malnourished children. We will take that opportunity also to give take home rations to those categories of people so that we inject again some food into family households. Those are the plans we have for the time being and we are trying to avoid the so-called general food distribution for everybody in Monrovia. We have over one million people. It will not be beneficial to such kind of interventions.

On the issue of IDP allegations of forced return to the camps by LRRRC and WFP

Respondent: Justin Bagirishya

There was a meeting held yesterday and another one would be held today to discuss with LRRRC suggested locations for those IDPs that are not willing to go to the Montserrado camps. LRRRC had proposed Fendall as a place where these people could be. I am aware that the Catholic Mission also proposed another location particularly those who are from places like Sinoe, Maryland and Rivercess. We are following up discussions and the moment that we all agree to where these people can stay we will immediately make our assistance available.

On the issue of the need for journalist to be part of humanitarian missions outside of Monrovia as a way of them understanding UN operations on the field as opposed to having too many press briefings

Respondent: Justin Bagirishya

I am inviting you today to the Montserrado camps if you so wish. Tomorrow we can go to Totota.

Respondent: Ross Mountain

That's a general policy. We are very opened to having journalists come with us. The Public Information Officer and staff will facilitate that.

On the issue of food intervention for children in school and the need to extend similar interventions to families whose children are not in school

Respondent: Justin Bagirishya

We realize that some may not have but the family size is quite large but let me mention the food-for-work and the therapeutic feeding in various institutions and women going to the clinic even if they don't have children but are pregnant, would be given take home rations. I'm not pretending that we will be able to reach every household. We are trying to reach the most vulnerable household.

I have been discussing with an NGO called OCAM that is very close to the ground. Our discussion was; if you could gather these children we will be able to respond. You have some friendly spaces run by different NGOs even in those centers we do intervene.

On the issue of IDP children "under five" being the only recipients amongst all children in that category to benefit form take home rations

Respondent: Justin Bagirishya

For "under five", the second round of food distribution is on going in Monrovia. I mentioned that this would be extended to the IDP camps in Montserrado with SCF and in Bong camps with MSF-F and in Buchanan with Merlin.

On the issue of humanitarian situation and human rights abuses in Bong and Nimba where there is forced labor with women being the victims

Respondent: Ross Mountain

If we find evidence of this going on we obviously will do what we can to address that. We are reaching up to Bong County. We have a colleague in Bong today and we are looking forward to moving activities up there. Let me clearly say that we have been saying all along what the resolution has now been saying. Some of you may have read it that protection of civilians is part of our humanitarian mandate and you heard UNICEF talking about children, the violations that have been going on for women and the incidence of rape; protection is a vital part of our humanitarian mandate. We don't have a police force but we will have a presence and I think people should be reminded that if they were carrying on these kinds of practices, they would be brought to account.

On the issue of vital statistics of population that have died during the war UNFPA's assistance to Government to record those deaths

Respondent: Deji Popoola UNFPA

That's a good and valid question and what are we doing in terms of statistics is very minimal. We are in an emergency situation and strict developmental activities cannot go on. We are mindful of the need for accurate and authentic statistics for planning purposes in Liberia. Unfortunately in the past 10 years we have not been able to do any major national census in particular. UNFPA in the period of 1991-2000 conducted health and demographic survey in Liberia that is about the most current widespread sample data collection exercise in Liberia. The data has been widely circulated. We also plan to have conducted a census this year and of course why we did not is information well known to you. We hope that the Interim Government world place the issue of a national census high on its priority list and UNFPA is quite ready to assist the government in conducting the national census. We hope that as areas accessible and as places become safe, we will conduct surveys here and there but in the present environment in which we live in any meaningful accurate data collection exercise cannot be undertaken. Finally, UNFPA holds the hope that when normalcy comes to Liberia we will be able to assist the government to establish and maintain a vital registration process which will make data readily available and useable form for planning purposes in Liberia.

On the issue of Cholera outbreak in Buchanan and Monrovia.

Respondent: Dr. Omar Khatib, WHO

On the situation in Monrovia, you have a paper there that tells you the situation of the communicable diseased in Monrovia. The graphs show you what the situation of cholera is in Monrovia and Paynesville. If you look at the graph you will see it comes into clear picture. The situation in Monrovia has remained the same since reporting started. Cases are almost the same number. But if you look at the Paynesville the situation is even worse because cases are increasing in those areas. The Cholera situation in Paynesville and Monrovia is still of concern but all of us must work to air the messages. I am sure some of your radio stations have been given work on airing messages on cholera. Some NGOs have given messages to air but that is not enough. You the journalists will have to take it up and send this message to the public. We are doing health promotion. We have agreed in the Epidemiological Sub- Committee of the health and nutrition sector that we should follow up the second phase, the intensive health promotion. This you will see coming up.

We are doing water chlorination for up to four rounds in open wells and hand pumps in Monrovia. 5, 000 wells have been chlorinated. The staff is now analyzing the data but that's just one look of the whole of the transmission of Cholera. You can get the water clean and contaminate it in the house. This is where health promotion is important for people to understand the importance of keeping the water clean. If they cannot, we are going to start to ask people to do home chlorination using the Clorox formula that is being printed for all to use.

On the issue of repatriating Sierra Leone Refugee

Respondent: Moses Okello UNHCR

Thank you. I was getting worried that perhaps you lost interest in refugees. We are continuing with the repatriation of Sierra Leonean refugees. We were using the sea but as you know we had chartered a shop for this exercise but because of conditions on the sea and phobia some of the refugees have about traveling on the sea, we have decided now to explore other options. One of which is by road through the Liberian-Sierra Leonean border. We have been in contact with the LURD leadership on this. Ross Mountain said earlier but also locally that they have offered to facilitate the movement of refugees on that route across into Sierra Leone. The problem is that the Sierra Leone side has very bad roads there. My colleagues on the Sierra leonean side are working on that. It would take us 4-5 weeks to have that repaired. But as you know that will also be the dry season. We have the trucks ready. You have seen them around and there is no problem with regard to that. The only problem is the road. Once we get it prepared, we would continue with the repatriation.

Although you only asked about repatriation of Sierra Leone refugees, I thought you would have picked up the other story from Guinea, that we have received about 6,000 Liberian refugees recently within the last 10 days coming from the Yeala area. Let us say the northern Bong County. This is a contradiction we have here. The humanitarian community is very much disappointed by that because we were of the hope that with the signing of the peace agreement in Accra, this kind of thing should not be happening. I would like to appeal to you to also send out messages to the Liberian parties and actors that this is not necessary anymore. But resolution of this conflict is in the direction of finalizing it peaceably.

The people are still suffering. We have been talking about people getting food. We have people here in IDP camps and there is no reason why we should continue to create new ones. I would also talk with regard to attempting to return to Eastern Liberia to reach out to the Ivorian refugees and Liberia returnees who came during the days of the fighting in Cote D'Ivoire. We also mentioned last week's trip to Harper. We are working with WFP on returning to establish an office there and slowly we would move north wards to start reaching out to the people who are there; refugees, returnees, local people, IDPs and TCNs from Burkinafaso. The trip we are making today into Zwedru we are very hopeful is going well as about now as I am talking to you they have just reported that they are on their way into Zwedru. We are hoping that within a few days, we will be able to go back into Zwedru and start assisting Ivorian Refugees, Liberian returnees and local people in that area. We are hoping that we will be able to assess Nimba County with an office in Saclepea that is still in tact-that we hope we can resume activities there as well. We have a very ambitious agenda to try to reach outside of Monrovia.

On the issue of negotiating with the factions to turn over child soldiers to UNICEF

Respondent: Cyrille Niameogo UNICEF

The negotiations have started with LURD on the 15 of August at the time our regional director was visiting here and together with the Humanitarian Coordinator we went to LURD at the headquarters on Bushrod Island and we had a meeting with them on the issue of children with LURD. We went to Tubmanburg and held the same discussions with the LURD commanders. They said they were opened and that anytime we wanted the children we could go back. The protection group is following up with LURD to ensure that we have access. The problem is getting to these children and establishing their profiles. In order to decide where we put them, we need to know who has them. With MODEL we have started the negotiations in Buchanan.

The group went last week and MODEL commander on the ground said "we are ready to let the children go to school". When it was reported to me I said it was good to hear from them but we want the children to be disarmed and demobilized. We do not want them to be with LURD or MODEL going to school because anytime they could return to the factions. If they are ready to let the children go to school they need to be disarmed and demobilized sufficiently then they would not belong to MODEL and LURD and then we will take care of them at Don Bosco, SCF and other NGOs that have specialty in that. This is the situation where we are now. The same thing goes for the government side.

The problem is that all the parties claim not to have children, while we are sitting discussing, we see them walking with guns. When we say what abut this one, they say "oh, well we have a couple of them but we use them for small jobs". In any case all of the children with them are child soldiers. If they do not carry guns they are porters, cooks and concubines of the combatants and we need to get access to them to plan for the demobilization.

Respondent: Ross Mountain

We have to end this. We will be available for individual interviews. UNICEF is doing much on returning the children to school and UNDP is working on the DDR process. The UN System is doing a little bit of work in Liberia we aim to continue.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!