OCHA Situation Report
Liberia
Period: 21 - 27 April 2003
15 June 2003


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Overview
MILITARY/POLITICAL SITUATION

Security update

During the period under review, there were unconfirmed reports of fierce
fighting between government forces and LURD rebels in the provincial city
of Voinjamah. Voinjamah has served as a stronghold for LURD since 1999.
Observers believe that this is an attempt to cut off LURD supply lines.

Heavily armed LURD fighters in the commercial town of Ganta in Nimba
County are reported to be fortifying their positions to prevent government
forces from taking over the town, but the Liberian Government has said the
Guinean Government has been constantly shielding its position in the area
in an apparent attempt to prevent its forces from dislodging LURD. There
are reports that LURD fighters in the town have set ablaze several homes,
belonging mainly to top Gio fighters and prominent Gio citizens including
that of the county superintendent. In other parts of Nimba County, there
are credible reports that Madingos, who are believed to be sympathizers of
LURD, are being targeted by Gios.

Fighting still rages between government forces and LURD in western
Liberia, and it appears rebels have gained upper hand of recent, moving
the frontline from Gbah to Beh Town, some 35 kilometers southwest of
Monrovia and from Klay Junction to Sasstown about 30 kilometers northwest
of Monrovia. A pro government radio station has also reported that some
150 persons, mostly civilians, were recently killed in rebels' ambush in
Fomba in Grand Cape Mount County, while trying to escape to Monrovia.
Other accounts, mainly by a few escapees, however revealed that those
killed in the ambush were mostly pro government militias. Meanwhile, there
are scanty reports that a number of civilians are being amputated in
rebels control areas in Grand Cape Mount County.

Due to lack of access to most parts of the southeast, the extent of the
fighting in Zwedru could not immediately be determined. However, rebels of
the Movement for Democracy of Liberia (MODEL) are reported to still be in
control of Grand Gedeh County in southeastern Liberia. In Greenville Sinoe
County, there were reports of a fragile situation created by of news of an
imminent attack on that provincial capital. Rebels were reported to be
engaging government in Pyne's Town and Mile 48 in Sinoe and were advancing
towards Greenville. Over 1,000 new influxes mostly from Sinoe County have
arrived in the last two weeks in Buchanna, and reports say several parts
of Sinoe County, including the port town of Greenville, remain deserted.
Logging companies in region continue to scale down their operation and to
return most of their staff and equipment to Monrovia. Unidentified persons
reportedly looted the Catholic and Methodist Institutions in Greenville.

The women of Liberia under the auspices of Women In Peace Building Network
(WIPNET) staged a "sit in" at the Executive Mansion on 24 April. This was
part their ongoing peaceful protest for an end to the war in Liberia. At
the event, President Taylor acknowledged that Liberia had become
vulnerable and called for the intervention of the international community.

Monrovia was calm during the foregoing period, with checkpoints mounted
with "stop and search operations" continuing in and around the city.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

The lack of access to refugees and TCNs including civilian population
caught up in the conflict in the Southeastern region since 26 March is
causing concern among the humanitarian community. The UNCT, the EU and the
American Embassy have appealed to the warring factions to open a corridor
in their controlled areas to allow for the safe passage of humanitarian
assistance, particularly, (food and medicine) to the populations at risk.

On 17 April UNHCR sent a team to Saclepea to appraise the road from
Monrovia to the camp. There were indications that the security situation
along that route was good. While in Saclepea the team met local leaders
including the Mayor who facilitated a tour of the Town. At the time of the
visit there were about 1,000 refugees, returnees and Third country
Nationals in the camp. Some 2,800 IDPs that were living in camps in Ganta
were also found in Saclepea. Another team comprising UNHCR and WFP is
traveled to Saclepea on 24 April to distribute food already positioned in
the camp.

IOM so far has registered 300 Third country Nationals in Harper where it
established presence two weeks ago. As registration is on going, there
were indications that some of the TCNs in Zwedru might move to Harper on
their own. IOM plans to hire a boat to convey the TCNs to Accra, Ghana
where they would be transported by road to their home countries. The Third
Country Nationals are mainly Burkinabes and Malians. Before the fighting
in the region, there were an estimated 10,000 TCN in the southeastern
region.

Following a test flight to Harper and having received indications that the
situation of TCN was good, the UNHCR is planning to send food and Non-Food
Items and vehicles to Harper following the arrival of a hired boat in 10
days. UNHCR plans to continue normal assistance to the Refugees and TCNs.

WFP will fly an aircraft to Harper on 28 April on an assessment mission.

Following the attack on Zwedru and Jarhtondo Camp on 28 March and 9 April
respectively, a number of humanitarian aid agencies reported missing staff
members. The following chart gives an update on the number of staff
unaccounted for.

              Monitoring Humanitarian Workers Unaccounted For
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+-----------------|
|No.|   Name of    |  Number of   |   Place of    |   Relevant   |
|   | Organization |    staff     |Deployment/Last|    Remarks   |
|   |              | unaccounted  |    Contact    |              |
|   |              |     for      |               |              |
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+--------------|
|   |              | National     | International |              |
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+--------------|
| 1 |    UNHCR     |            1 |             0 |Zwedru        |
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+--------------|
| 2 |     GTZ      |              |               |Zwedru        |
|   |              |              |               |all staff     |
|   |              |              |               |accounted for |
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+--------------|
| 3 |     WFP      |            1 |             0 |Zwedru        |
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+--------------|
| 4 |     ACF      |           36 |             0 |Zwedru        |
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+--------------|
| 5 |    MERLIN    |            9 |             0 |Zwedru        |
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+--------------|
| 6 |  MSF-FRANCE  |           55 |             0 |Zwedru        |
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+--------------|
| 7 |     LUSH     |              |               |All Staff     |
|   |              |              |               |accounted for |
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+--------------|
| 8 |     ADRA     |            1 |             0 |Zwedru        |
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+--------------|
| 9 |    UMCOR     |              |               |All staff     |
|   |              |              |               |accounted for |
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+--------------|
|10 |    LNRCS     |           11 |             0 |Zwedru        |
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+--------------|
|11 |    OXFAM     |            0 |             0 |Jarhtondo     |
|   |              |              |               |All Staff     |
|   |              |              |               |accounted for |
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+--------------|
|12 |     CCC      |            1 |             0 |Jarhtondo     |
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+--------------|
|   |    TOTAL     |          115 |               |              |
|---+--------------+--------------+---------------+--------------|


Health

Health Sector NGOs in the camps have reduced the duration of providing
health services at the camps in Montserrado following recent attacks on
three IDP camps in the north of the capital. MSF-F has scheduled staff to
work 5 hours daily, from 10 a.m. to 2 P.M. MSF-B has also scaled-down work
schedules in Plumkor and Siegbeh camps due to insecurity. MSF-F reported
that its activities at Wilson camp remain suspended following the mass
looting of its facility by gunmen.

WVI reported that normal operations at Montserrado camps would resume
during the week of 30 April following the suspension of operations after
the agency offices were looted.

Due to the fighting in the southeastern region of Liberia and the
resultant insecurity existing in those areas, aid agencies that operated
in the region prior to the attacks on Ganta, and Zwedru maintain their
suspension of health activities in the region. Africare in collaboration
with UNICEF should have begun a multi-antegent immunization of three
districts along the Ivorian border in Nimba prior to the attacks. Support
to the clinics in Nimba and Bong also remains suspended.

MSF-CH closed down its operation in Saclepea but remains in contact with
the local staff through the VHF radio. Supply of drugs to the clinic in
Logan Town continued. There were plans by MSF-CH to operate the Benson
Hospital in the Paynesville Red Light district. Discussion with the
Ministry of Health was on going.

P-MU Interlife reported that it began rendering Mobile health services at
Perry Town but had to suspend the opening of the clinic due to the limited
number of IDPs who have returned since the disruption at Jarhtondo. The
24-hour service to the camps was also suspended until the security
situation improves.

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare reported that efforts are being
made to redirect ambulances assigned to inaccessible counties to address
some of the gaps in the referral services to IDPs. One of the ambulances
being used in Marshall, Bong Mines and River Gee is likely to be used on
the program. The service will however require assistance from NGOs to have
it operational.

The Buchanan Hospital is without a Medical Doctor. This makes referral of
critical cases to the hospital difficult. The Ministry of Health (MOH)
plans to arrange with the OTC clinic in Buchanna to allow IDPs with
critical cases to be referred there and treated without charge. The
Ministry however, indicated that the difficulty in recruiting doctors for
rural health facilities was due to the limited number of doctors in the
country and the government's inability to provide incentive that would
encourage medical doctors to be assigned in rural areas.

Malaria Control Board of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
indicated it would study a request by NGOs involved in the reproductive
health sector to reconsider its decision to distribute mosquito nets to
pregnant women in IDP camps. The Malaria Control Board had decided to
discontinue the distribution of mosquito nets to IDP camps and redirect
the distribution to the residents of Monrovia and other communities
because most of the nets distributed in the camps were ending up on the
local market. In an effort to ensure effective distribution and monitoring
of nets, the Board is inviting interested health sector NGOs to a meeting
soon to consider a new strategy for the distribution of the nets to
pregnant women in IDP camps. Meanwhile, UNICEF reported that some 10,000
mosquito nets, which were brought in for distribution to five counties,
that are currently inaccessible, would be redirected to Totota or other
needy communities.

Food Aid & food Security

Discussions among implementing partners on best practices for food
distribution to the IDPs in light of recent attacks on the camps in
Montserrado are on going. The security situation in the camps is being
monitored as these discussions are being held among humanitarian aid
agencies.

Following the attacks on Rick's Institute on 23 March and the resultant
disruption of the intended food distribution to Seighbeh camp, IDPs' food
stocks have since been depleted. The IDP camp leadership expressed concern
about their exclusion from the food distribution exercise. Prior to any
distribution, the IDP leadership has indicated willingness to be involved
in the planning and actual distribution food.

On 19 April, on instructions of LRRRC, the camp leadership from Rick's
Institute undertook the registration of IDPs from Rick's that were staying
in Seigbeh. This process is being conducted in all of the Montserrado
camps to ensure that the caseload displaced from Rick's IDP camp would be
provided food rations when WFP resumes distribution to the camps.

Shelter & non food Items

During the period under review, negotiations with local authorities for
the expansion of the camps in Totota were concluded. It was decided that
due to environmental reasons, no additional land would be provided for
expansion of the camps. Aid agencies have agreed to relocate the IDPs of
CARI and TV Tower from the Miamu camps to the new location in Salala that
was allocated by local authorities in the district. Prior to this decision
some of the estimated 30,000 caseload, earmarked to be transferred, had
moved from Totota to Salala on their own. Aid agencies were now working to
ensure that IDPs remained at Totota until the campsite at Salala was
properly laid out. LWF would take the lead in site planning while CONCERN
would take on WATSAN activities and MSF-F would take on health activities
in Salala. The relocation of the estimated 30,000 influxes from the Totota
camps would reduce overcrowding and the pressure on WATSAN and other
facilities at the Totota camps. An inter-agency registration of the
influxes will be conducted prior to relocating to the Salala camp.

With the start of the rainy season in the Country, the shelter situation
of IDPs at the VOA refugee camp is becoming appalling. The transit
buildings are leaking causing extensive flooding inside the buildings.
About 2,000 IDPs are residing at four of the VOA buildings, which are
being used as transit centers. The IDPs are forced to remain awake at
night when it rains and it is likely many of them could fall sick if the
situation is not addressed. ICRC has constructed a transit center at the
camp, which has capacity to accommodate some 400 IDPs.

In Perry Town, rains destroyed over 20 individual units because of poor
roofing. In Plumkor ICRC authorized a survey conducted by the Red Cross
that covered a block of 233 units. Results show that some 200 units roofed
with tarpaulins were leaking. The situation has heightened the need for
tarpaulin in the camps.

In Siegbeh, the majority of the influxes from northern Liberia and the
Rick's camp are staying in make shift irregular shelters such as WFP
distribution booths and the Concerned Christian Community (CCC),
counseling and training hall and office. In an effort to resolve
accommodation problems at Seighbeh, ICRC rehabilitated two transit
shelters and constructed another. In addition, CCC has also constructed
one transit shelter in the camp. The four tents are providing shelter for
an estimated 1600 influxes.

IDPs in Wilson camp have begun rebuilding shelters that were burnt by a
mortar that was launched in the camp on 9 April. During the incident 418
shelters were affected. IDPs that were originally in these shelters have
appealed for provision of tarpaulin and construction tools like shovels to
reconstruct their units. 90% of the remaining houses had their tarpaulins
stolen during the attack. The few houses that had tarpaulin were
observably leaking reportedly due to the wear and tear of the tarpaulin
sheets caused by frequent folding.

LRRRC transported 1,406 IDPs from the D-Tweh High School in New Kru Town
back to three Camps around Monrovia on 19 April. Most of the populations
were taken on board UNHCR trucks to Wilson and Jartondo, while a few went
to Perry Camp. The IDPs are being accommodated at transit tents and a few
took refuge with relatives and friends in the camps. The IDPs fled
Jartondo and Wilson Camps and took refuge in the D-Tweh School campus
following the 9th April attack on Jartondo Camp.

Except for the presence of a few militiamen, Zuannah Town was basically
deserted due to insecurity created by the deployment of heavily armed
government military in the area. Refugees who were originally at Zuannah
town are now staying at VOA and have begun to move into shelters
constructed using materials provided by UNHCR.

IDPs are still arriving in Buchanna and the inter-agency registration team
there has received and registered some 4,667 up to last weekend. MERLIN
reported that IDPs are still arriving, mainly from Sinoe County at an
average rate of five to fifteen a day. The IDPs are still residing at the
Louisa Hotel. ICRC is however preparing a camp on the outskirts of the
town.

WATSAN

A number of NGOs including OXFAM, ACF and UNICEF have put on hold water
and sanitation interventions in camps in Montserrado, as a result of the
recent armed attack on Jartondo and Wilson Camps. ACF, the lead in water
supplies at Wilson and Siegbeh Camps, is awaiting improvement in the
security situation, particularly at Wilson, where over 400 individual
shelters were burnt and destroyed.

OXFAM, which suspended its operations as lead agency in sanitation at
Jartondo and Sergbeh since 9 April, has begun assessing the situation to
possibly resume activities at the camps soon. The tarpaulins on most of
the latrines constructed by OXFAM at Jartondo were looted.

Due to recent attacks in the camps and the resulting insecurity, UNICEF
was monitoring the situation before providing support to the Ministry of
Rural Development to construct ten double pit latrines in Perry Town. The
construction of the latrines was expected to address the acute sanitation
problem at that camp. Meanwhile, IDPs have been trying to maintain WATSAN
facilities.

A prolonged suspension of WATSAN activities at the camps by NGOs could
exacerbate the already unsanitary situation now obtaining at the camps. It
could lead to epidemics especially as the raining season, when the number
of incidents of diarrhea is bound to increase, fast approaches.

Education

On 24 April, a total of 800 pupils began classes in Siegbeh and Blamasee
camps under NRC Rapid Response Education Program (RREP). NRC hopes to
begin classes on 28 April at Wilson camp where a 10-classroom shelter was
completed. In total the 30 classes would have an over all enrollment of
some 1,200 pupils. A total number of 30 teachers were recruited for both
morning and afternoon sessions. Beneficiaries of the school program re
IDPs from Bomi, Cape Mount, Bopolu and Lofa Counties. Children who have at
least two years learning experience and were between the ages of 10 and 17
were recruited for the RREP.

NRC expects to adopt the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) of the
Ministry of Education that is common to the Liberian schools system by the
next academic term that begins in September 2003. NRC Rapid Response
Education Program provides that pupils are channeled through the regular
school program at the end of the third level, grades 4, 5,and 6. The RREP
is a three-year project.

The effort under RREP to provide Emergency education is a further step on
the 'road' to providing immediate educational needs to an estimated 15,000
IDP children.

Child Friendly Spaces

In Wilson camp, the CFS constructed by CAP in collaboration with UNICEF
were leaking and are not structurally sound following the collapse of the
front wall of one of the buildings. The children no longer use the CFS.

Protection

The number of militiamen at Seigbeh and other camps had reduced
considerably following government's instruction to the military to escort
the militia out of the camps.

In spite of the reduction of the pro-government armed militia, attacks on
the civilian population continued in the camps. Reports indicated that a
37-year-old IDP from Jartondo Camp was tied for hours and stabbed with
daggers several times on his head and other parts of his body by
militiamen on 21 April at about 8:30 in the evening. The heavily armed
militias, numbering about five also made away with the victim's wristwatch
and cash amounting to LD300.00. The victim was amongst IDPs brought back
from the D-Tweh High School on 19 April. He was treated at the MSF Clinic
at Wilson Corner.

The militiamen also assaulted six other IDPs and made away with many
valuables including cash. Eyewitnesses, who identified the militiamen,
reported that they were believed to have come from the Anna Bank School in
Brewerville, a few kilometers from the Jartondo Camp, which is being used
as a training base.

In Totota, IDPs indicated that since the arrival of some 30,000 influxes
from Gbarnga into the Miamu camps, a large presence of military men that
have taken position in the area were intimidating the host population.

Regional CAP Launch

The Cote d'Ivoire and five-affected Countries CAP will be launched on 28
April in Abidjan.

CAP Funding

As at 24 April, funding of the CAP was at 10.5% of the USD42 million
funding Requirement. Among the sectors that have hitherto received no
funding are:

      - Health -- 0% funding
      - Education -- 0% funding
      - Protection -- 0% funding

Missions

Mr. Tudor Hera, First Secretary of the Embassy of Canada in Abidjan
arrived in Liberia on 22 April at the start of a week's visit to
familiarize himself with the political, security and humanitarian
situation in the country. During the visit, Mr. Hera held consultations
with UN agencies, EU, USAID, NGOs, Civil Society Organizations, Pro-
democracy organizations, government Ministers and the Media. Mr. Hera also
visited IDP and Refugee camps in Montserrado.

The Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Marc de Bernis and the OCHA Head of
Office, Mr. Muktar Ali Farah will be attending the launching of the Cote
d'Ivoire and five-affected Countries Regional CAP from 26 April to 1 May
2003. During this period, Dr. Castor Camara, FAO Representative, will be
Acting Humanitarian Coordinator.

OCHA Liberia has acquired a Satellite Phone to be used for emergencies. The
Number is 882-16-21121950.

For More information please contact:
Mr. Muktar Farah, Head of Office, OCHA-Liberia
Tel.: 377 47 550571
Fax: 00-31-20-5407-281
E-mail: farah.muktar@undp.org


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