OCHA Situation Report No. 10
Liberia
20 June 2003


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

I. Military/Political Developments

Current -- The number of armed gangs raiding homes and looting has
increased over the last two days in Duala and New crew town suburbs of
Monrovia. IDPs in camps of Seighbeh, VOA and Plumkor have reported armed
robberies and many incidents of rape committed at night by armed men. On
the night of 19 June, armed men robbed displaced persons in Plumkor and a
number of government militias were arrested by security forces in
connection with these robberies. At a humanitarian coordination meeting
held on 19 June at OCHA, the Director of LRRRC informed the meeting that a
presidential directive had been issued to Liberia National Police to
recover and seize, from security men, all looted assets belonging to the
UN and NGOs. A list of missing vehicles and items was submitted to the
Director of Cabinet and they are waiting for appropriate action to be
taken.

President Taylor, in a radio address to the nation yesterday, has
announced that he will not step down until January 2004 when his tenure
ends. Even then, he says, he is allowed to run for another term of office
if he so wishes. He said the on going peace conference in Accra was not a
sovereign authority to decide constitutional matters. The conference, he
says, has its limitations. Reacting also to his recent indictment by the
special court in Sierra Leone, the President said the action by the court
was a disgrace to Liberia's people and not him and warned that such an
indictment could cause problems between Liberia and Sierra Leone for a
protracted period of time.

Projected -- The radio address of the President has not been well received
by the residents of Monrovia. People are worried that the on going peace
talks in Accra may fail, which could lead to further unrest and resumption
of fighting.

In another development, the United Nations backed Special Court for Sierra
Leone reported on Monday 16 June, that credible information has been
received by the court that the Sierra Leone's former Junta Leader, Johnny
Paul Koroma was killed two weeks ago in Lofa County, Liberia. The Court is
currently investigating the reported death.

Meanwhile dialogue among the various political parties and warring
factions in the Liberian Peace Talks continued yesterday in Accra. It was
not immediately clear what would be the reaction to the radio address of
President Taylor.


II. Security Situation

International staffs of Aid organizations have started returning to
Monrovia. The following are those that returned. Merlin (1), LWF/WS (1),
ICRC (15), MSF (3), and IRC (1).

Local population -- Family members of Deputy Minster of Public Works,
Deputy National Security Minister and the Chief of Intelligence have
appealed to President Taylor to release them. The government officers were
picked up by security officers in connection with a failed coup attempt
announced by the president after his return from the Akasombo peace talks.
The National Human Rights commission has requested the release of Human
rights campaigner, Mr. J. Aloysius Toe who was accused of collaborating
with LURD to unseat President Taylor and charged with treason. The
commission is requesting the release of Mr. Toe following the announcement
of President Taylor's extension of clemency to political prisoners before
the start of Akosombo Peace Talks.


III. Humanitarian situation

IDPs/Refugees

A few NGOs have resumed humanitarian assistance to IDPs in Monsterrado
camps. ICRC and NGOs including MSF-Belgium, OXFAM, FAH noted that about
50% of the prewar IDP caseloads are still residing in the camps of
Serghbeh, Blamese, Wilson, VOA and Perry Town. MSF-Belgium reported that
it had started health services to Seighbeh. ICRC has started health
services in Blamese. A few of the refugees were reported to still be
residing at the VOA camp. Meanwhile, WFP reported that it has completed an
assessment with UNHCR at the camps in rural Montserrado and Samukai
refugee camps and plan to distribute food rations immediately.

LRRRC have informed humanitarian agencies that Monrovia IDP camps sites,
which now number 38, have been regrouped into 5 zones for ease of
identification. The zones include Central Monrovia, Bushrod Island,
Somalla Drive, Red Light, and Sinkor/Congo town. Merlin in collaboration
with EU, the Ministry of Planning and OCHA are working developing a map of
all the encampment sites in Monrovia.

UNHCR Sierra Leone reported that a total of 1,164 Liberian refugees have
been received in Kailahun since the 11 June, when the recent fighting
started in Liberia. Earlier reports of an estimated 1-2,000 refugees and
returnees heading also towards the border in Pujehun could not be
confirmed according to an OCHA Sierra Leone report. A total of 136 AFL
soldiers led by General Davidson are now confirmed to have crossed the
border into Sierra Leone. Of the 136 surrendering combatants, 40 have been
identified as child combatants. Under agreements with UNHCR all child
soldiers (those under 18) are accorded civilian status and will be placed
in the care of UNHCR in refugee camps in Sierra Leone.

Food security

WFP continues its food distribution to IDPs in Monrovia, increasing its
target population from 18,000 to 23,000. The agency has also extended the
distribution, starting June 19, to camps in rural Montserrado including
Perry Town displaced camp, VOA and Samukai refugee camps.

Water and Sanitation

WATSAN sector NGOs, led by UNICEF have acknowledged at a meeting in
Monrovia yesterday that alarming shortage of water and sanitation
assistance to IDPs have to be resolved urgently. The agencies noted that
water sources at most of the camp sites in the city are not suitable
because of contaminated ground water conditions and the water table is
shallow making the construction of latrines difficult. The agencies also
observed that WATSAN activities are not well coordinated and that there is
duplication of services. Human waste disposal is still a major problem and
water supply is inadequate, factors that may have led to cholera incidents
in the city.

Health

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and NGOs supported by UNICEF,
will next week Monday launch a mass multi-antigen immunization campaign
for over 200,000 women and over 128,000 children in and around Monrovia.
The exercise is expected to target women of child-bearing age and children
under five years. The vaccination campaign is in response to the recent
mass population movement caused by the war in the suburbs of Monrovia. It
will cover displaced camps and host communities as well.

Education

The Ministry of Education says schools in war affected areas in Monrovia
and its environs will not reopen to complete the rest of the academic year
and students in those schools will be evaluated and promoted to the next
class based on their merits of last year. However, schools in areas that
were not affected by the fighting will remain opened to allow students to
complete their academic year, which ends July this year. This decision
comes in the wake of the recent fighting, which left most of the schools
damaged, students displaced and school facilities occupied by the
displaced people.

Coordination

OCHA Liberia has scheduled a general humanitarian coordination meeting in
Monrovia at OCHA office on Tuesday 24 June 2003. The meeting is expected
to review the current humanitarian response by sector and identify gaps in
intervention. OCHA has requested all sector meetings to be held once a
week in Monrovia. Weekly health sector meetings are held every Wednesday
of the week, Watsan sector meeting was held Friday 20 June, Shelter and
Non Food Item sector are expected to convene next week and Food security
sector meeting led by WFP was held on Friday 20 June.

In Abidjan, a first draft of the contingency plan for Liberia and
sub-region was presented and discussed by Inter-Agency Humanitarian
Coordination Committee on Wednesday this week. The country team continues
to meet on a daily basis to support the ongoing humanitarian activities in
Liberia.

A joint Security and Humanitarian assessment team is expected to travel to
Monrovia on Sunday 22 June. The mission is expected to meet the Government
and humanitarian actors to assess the security situation for a possible
return of the international staff of the UN. The Humanitarian
Coordinator/Resident Coordinator, Mr. Marc de Bernis and OCHA Head of
Office, Mr. Muktar Farah, will accompany the Team.

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Muktar Ali Farah, Head of OCHA Liberia (currently in Abidjan)
+225-22405174/75 cell: +225-07-443392 / e-mail: farah.muktar@undp.org /
muktarfarah@yahoo.com


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