Action by Churches Together (ACT)
Update AFGN-31
Guinea - 1/2003
Assistance to Refugees
30 June 2003


The humanitarian situation in the Forest Region of the Republic of Guinea
remains highly complex in 2003. The various conflicts that have marred the
sub-region for over a decade have led to wave upon wave of forced
displacements. An isle of relative tranquillity in a sea of turmoil,
Guinea has thus become the country of asylum for Sierra Leonean, Ivorian,
and Liberian refugees alike.

The later remain a majority among the assisted population living in
Guinea, given the recent positive political developments in both the Ivory
Coast and Sierra Leone that have allowed for the repatriation of their
nationals. The Liberian refugees have, for their part, been regrouped in
three camps of the Guinea Forest Region, namely the camps of Kola,
Kouankan, and Lainé. It is Kouankan camp sheltering some 33,000 souls,
that has over the past months acquired notoriety as a rear base for the
Liberian LURD rebellion (c.f. the Human Rights Watch report).

Concerned by the violation of the civilian and impartial character of the
camp, and alarmed by the humanitarian and political implications that any
assistance could mean under such circumstances, the UNHCR and Guinean
government took the decision in early May to transfer the beneficiaries of
Kouankan to the camps of Albadaria in the vicinity of Kissidougou (about
300km from Kouankan).  UNHCR has asked ACT member the Lutheran World
Federation/World Service (LWF/WS) to provide agriculture activities and
mental health care for the transferred refugee population. So far, 5,300
of the 33,000 refugees in Kouankan have already been transferred to
Albadaria.  It is hoped that the geographical distance will be enough to
prevent any political abuse or military usurping of the camps, ensuring
the humanitarian character of the assistance provided there.

In the hope of continuing to assist the Liberian refugees who will be
transferred, the Guinea Program of LWF/ACT intends to open a small
operational base in Kissidougou.  Although such an intervention had not
been initially planned in the budgetary prevision for 2003, it is of
utmost importance that the assistance provided to these beneficiaries,
once more victims of political developments, be continued. To this effect,
the funds initially planned for Kouankan will now be used to sustain the
activities of Kissidougou.

LWF&WS has written a letter of intent to the UNHCR sub-office in
Kissidougou to inform them of the plans, taking into account the
pre-existing projects of other NGOs already active in the region so as to
avoid any duplication of assistance. Both the Agricultural program and the
medical segment of the Mental Health project caught their attention
because of the proven track record of LWF in these domains, and because of
the positive impacts these programs would have on the beneficiary
population of the Albadaria camps.

Some of the ACT funds planned for 2003 refugee assistance activities in
Kouankan will thus have to be used to start the mental health and
agriculture component in the Kissidougou area.  This change has no direct
implication for the total amount of the AFGN31 Guinea appeal, which will
remain the same, as it concerns predominantly a change in location of
activities.  Moreover, some of the refugee assistance activities being
implemented in Kouankan, like literacy classes and income generation
activities, will not be implemented by LWF in the Kissidougou area as
other NGOs are already involved in those sectors.

LWF/WS also informs the ACT CO that the refugee population in Laineh camp
is about 19,000 now, instead of 6,000 mentioned in the ACT Appeal AFGN 31.  
The provision of 11,000 new arrivals (page 5 of appeal) is therefore
predominantly used for Laineh camp extension.

Thank you for your attention.

For further information please contact:

ACTDirector, Thor-Arne Prois (phone ++41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone
++ 41 79 203 6055)
or
ACT Appeals Officer, Elsa Moreno (phone ++ 41 22 791 6420 or mobile phone
++ 41 79 608 8133)


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Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide alliance of churches and
their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency
response.  The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of 
Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
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   Ecumenical Centre                          Phone: ++41-22-791.60.33
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