U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
GUINEA - Complex Emergency
Fact Sheet #2, Fiscal Year (FY) 2001    February 14, 2001


Background

- For more than a decade, Guinea has hosted hundreds of thousands of
refugees from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau.  Most of the
Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees have been living in camps along
Guinea's borders with these two countries.  Beginning in September 2000, a
series of armed incursions near Gueckedou resulted in substantial loss of
life, destruction of property and crops, the disruption of livelihoods,
and the displacement of tens of thousands of Guineans and refugees.  In
recent months, continued fighting and security constraints have severely
inhibited the delivery of humanitarian assistance within region.


Numbers Affected

- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that
there are 330,000 Sierra Leonean and 130,000 Liberian refugees living in
Guinea.  UNHCR estimates 180,000 of these refugees are located in the area
of Guinea known as the "Parrot's Beak", which abuts Sierra Leone, in the
southwestern Forest Region.

- UNHCR estimates that there are 70,000 internally displaced persons
(IDPs) in the Parrot's Beak area.  The International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) and the U.N.'s World Food Program (WFP) recently estimated
that there were 11,000 IDPs in Dabola, 6,800 in Dinguiraye, 23,600 in
Keroune, 12,400 in Kankan, 10,300 in Siguri, 2,700 in Mandiana, and 5,035
in Forecariah.  The Government of Guinea (GOG) estimates that there are a
total of 200,000 IDPs throughout Guinea.  However, due to the prevailing
insecurity, exact numbers of those affected in Guinea are difficult to
obtain.

- U.N. sources estimate that more than 1,000 people have been killed in
fighting between GOG forces and anti- government factions since September
1, 2000.


Current Situation

- In late January, fighting between GOG forces and anti-government
factions erupted in the Gueckedou area.  International relief agencies
attempting to reach refugees and IDPs in the area were rebuked by the GOG
military.  On February 13, UNHCR reported that 40,000 refugees fled the
Gueckedou area after fighting broke out during the previous week.  The
remaining refugees and IDPs in the area continue to be inaccessible to
humanitarian assistance.

- On February 6, relief agencies began the relocation of refugees and IDPs
from the Nyaedou camp north of Gueckedou.  UNHCR and the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) have provided 30 vehicles to assist in
the evacuation of 1,000 to 1,500 refugees and IDPs per day.  Thousands
more are fleeing on foot carrying their belongings.  On February 12,
UNHCR's Chief, Ruud Lubbers, in his visit to the Katkama refugee camp,
called upon all concerned parties for the creation of a safe and secure
corridor to expedite the relocation process process.

- The deteriorating security situation continues to trigger mass
population movements within Guinea and across the borders into Sierra
Leone and Liberia.  Refugees and IDPs in the Forest Region continue to
flee toward Conakry and new camps in Upper Guinea in hope of returning
home or finding refuge from the attacks.  Since September 2000, more than
30,000 Sierra Leonean refugees have returned to Sierra Leone.

- Sierra Leonean and Liberian refugees continue to return to their
countries by sea from Conakry.  More than 10,000 refugees have returned to
Sierra Leone by ferry since December 2000.  Health

- On February 12, the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) issued a report
stating that refugees, IDPs and relief workers in the Forest Region of
Guinea are at great risk of dysentery, diarrhea, and dehydration.  Medical
supplies at camps and transit centers are limited as is access to potable
water.  WHO is requesting additional medical supplies, blankets, and dry
food rations.


Food Security

- WFP and other relief agencies have been able to reach vulnerable groups
intermittently since November 2000.  WFP had provided daily food
distributions to 220,000 beneficiaries.  WFP, UNHCR, and ICRC have only
been able to carry out very limited food distributions in the Gueckedou
area due to security concerns.

- CARE International (CARE) has discontinued food distributions in Guinea.
On February 14, the U.S. Mission in Conakry reported that Premiere
Urgence, a French NGO that UNHCR has chosen to replace CARE, began
distribution to 12,500 refugees situated along the Kissidougou to Faranah
axis. Political/Military

- On January 27 and 28, GOG forces launched several air attacks in the
Gueckedou area and across the border into Sierra Leone.  Press reports
indicate that as many as 100 civilians and faction members were killed in
the attacks.  On February 1, the GOG and the Government of Sierra Leone
(GOSL) announced the establishment of a joint body to ensure that GOG
forces avoid causing civilian casualties when in pursuit of
anti-government factions in Sierra Leone.  - The Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State approved the deployment of
military troops and observers to the Guinea-Liberia-Sierra Leone border
during their December 2000 summit.  ECOWAS announced at their January
meeting that a total of 1,676 soldiers from Nigeria (776), Mali (500),
Niger (200), and Senegal (200) would be deployed to Guinea in February
with an initial mandate to remain six months.


U.S. Government Response

- USAID/OFDA responded to U.S. Charge d'Affaires Timberlake Foster's
disaster declaration on November 29, 2000 with $25,000 to fund a grant to
ICRC for emergency assistance to IDPs.  USAID/OFDA dispatched a permanent
West Africa Regional Advisor to Conakry in December 2000.  The Regional
Advisor will assess the current IDP situation, humanitarian conditions,
and provide response options for USAID/OFDA.

- USAID/FFP has approved 13,620 MT of food commodities, with an estimated
value of $8.3 million to WFP for use in Guinea as part of WFP's regional
Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation in FY 2001.

- Department of State's Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration
(State/PRM) has provided $5 million to emergency assistance programs in
support of refugees and conflict victims in Guinea.  Of this total, $3.5
million was allocated to UNHCR for emergency assistance to refugees, $1.25
million to WFP for emergency food assistance, and $250,000 to IOM to
assist in the voluntary repatriation of Sierra Leonean refugees.


Relief Efforts

- As of January 31, WFP reported it had a total of 7,105 metric tons (MT)
of food commodities in Guinea.  Of this total, 400 MT are located in
Kissidougou.  WFP's Kissidougou warehouse currently has capacity for
storage of 1,000 MT of commodities with capacity for an additional 300 MT
to be added soon.  USAID's Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP) reports
that a shipment of 2,000 MT of Title II commodities (lentils) to WFP is
currently en route to Conakry.

- On February 6, UNHCR began an evacuation of the Nyaedou camp north of
Gueckedou.  A convoy of 30 trucks transported 1,000 Sierra Leonean and
Liberian refugees to a new camp, Albadaria, north of Nyaedou.  The Nyaedou
camp has hosted more than 30,000 refugees.

- On February 8, ICRC reported that more than 53,000 IDPs in the Forest
Region were provided with humanitarian assistance in recent weeks.  ICRC
has assisted UNHCR and WFP with food distributions since November.  In
addition to food distributions, ICRC has performed a census and evaluation
of IDPs in the Forest and Upper Regions of Guinea.

- On February 13, IOM announced that 8,100 Sierra Leonean refugees had
returned to Freetown aboard IOM- chartered vessels since it began its
sealift on January 9.  IOM has provided two chartered ships to assist
Sierra Leonean refugees in returning to Freetown.  IOM, with cooperation
from UNHCR, is planning to repatriate 20,000 Sierra Leonean refugees from
Conakry.

- In January 2001, Medecins sans Frontieres and Hopital sans Frontieres
initiated a yellow fever vaccination campaign in the areas of central
Guinea most affected by the recent outbreak.  Since the first confirmed
case was reported on October 12, 2000, there have been a total of 666
reported cases resulting in 218 deaths as of January 17. The European
Commission (EC) approved a grant of $1.5 million to fund the vaccination
campaign.


U.S. Government Humanitarian Assistance in FY 2001

- To date, USAID/OFDA has provided $25,000 in response to the FY 2001
disaster declaration for Guinea.

- USAID/FFP has provided an estimated $8.3 million in Title II emergency
funding in FY 2001.

- State/PRM is anticipating a funding level similar to FY 2000, during
which State/PRM provided $11,000,000 to refugee programs in Guinea.  To
date, State/PRM has provided $5 million in emergency assistance to Guinea
in FY 2001.



USAID/OFDA              $    25,000
USAID/FFP               $ 8,300,000
State/PRM               $ 5,000,000
Total USG Assistance    $13,325,000




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