OCHA Situation Report No. 55
Liberia Humanitarian Situation
7 October 2003


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

GENERAL SITUATION

The situation in Monrovia has stabilised. However, there are reports of
fighting and clashes between government troops and rebel factions in
North/Central Liberia (Nimba and Bong Mines). UNMIL is currently
investigating the reports and is advising caution in personnel movement.

The ECOWAS mediating team arrived in the country over the weekend and will
remain here until 17 October.  The team is led by General Abdulsalami
Abubakar, who mediated the recently signed Accra Peace agreement.

On Monday, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General Mr. Jacques
Paul Klein met with the UN heads of UN Agencies. Issues of collaboration
with the UN peacekeeping mission, UNMIL, security and support to the
humanitarian Community were discussed at length. He also met with the NGO
Community. In light of the forthcoming induction of the transit government
on 14 October, Agencies were advised to exercise caution in operating
outside of Monrovia. Non-essential Missions are not to be carried out.
Some NGOs have responded to this caution by suspending most of their
operations in Monrovia until further notice particularly the international
NGO, the ICRC, and Medecins San Frontières - Switzerland.  Agreement was
reached to provide an UNMIL liaison officer for the humanitarian community
and the issue of creating common premises for the UN country team was also
discussed.

HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES BY SECTOR

1. Food aid

The WFP resumes distribution of food to the Montserrado Camps and up
country (6 October) following the suspension of its activities due to the
clashes between LURD and government militias in the Paynesville Red Light
District (1 October). In Montserrado Camps, where security situation is
stable, WFP resumed distributions. This week, their implementing partners
will provide food assistance in the following camps:

|-----------+----------+--------------------+---------------------|
|           |    IP    | Estimated caseload |Estimated Quantities |
|-----------+----------+--------------------+---------------------|
|VOA        |  UMCOR   |       2,048        |        54.0         |
|-----------+----------+--------------------+---------------------|
|Blamacee   |  LIURD   |       13,553       |        225.6        |
|-----------+----------+--------------------+---------------------|
|Sawegbeh   |   WVI    |       12,286       |        184.3        |
|-----------+----------+--------------------+---------------------|



In addition Catholic Relief Services will begin distributions in Harbel
where 4,846 IDPs will receive 80.8 MT of assorted food commodities in the
Unification town, one of the 5 camps in the city.

2. Health and Nutrition

A massive community-based awareness campaign by UNFPA in Montserrado is
set to begin in the coming weeks.  In response to recent violence, UNFPA
is targeting its information and education activities on Bushrod Island
and IDP camps.  Areas covered include sexual-gender based violence (SGBV),
safe sex, family planning, prostitution and HIV/AIDS.  UNICEF and other
partners are planning for a nutrition assessment next week in Buchanan.

3. Internally Displaced Persons

A recent Inter-Agency assessment comprising UNHCR, UNICEF, Action contre
la Faim, OCHA and Liberia Refugee Repatriation Resettlement Commission
(LRRRC) visited Harbel and the Fendell campus areas on the weekend.  The
assessment aimed to identify alternative sites in the Harbel area to house
the relocation of IDPs, including those currently sheltered in the
Firestone Plantations complex.  It also assessed the possible use of the
Fendell campus to house IDPs to be relocated from shelters in Monrovia.  
Movement to the new site at Fendell starts (7 October).

4. Education

Some of 11 UNICEF rented vehicles for The Rapid Assessment of Learning
Spaces (RALS) were reported missing or looted.

5. Water, Sanitation, Shelter & NFIs

UNICEF and other Relocation Committee partners are conducting initial IDP
site assessments in Harbel (3, 000-5, 000) and Fendell (8,000-10,000).  
The process also involves identifying suitable sites for 20,000 people in
both Harbel and Fendell where the humanitarian community can provide
proper health, water and sanitation and support in camp layout, movement
of IDPs and distribution of shelter materials.

COMMON SERVICES

6. United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC)

The UNJLC website: www.unjlc.org/home/liberia

7. Humanitarian Information Centre

The HIC made a presentation to the Humanitarian Community on the products
they now have available and most of them can be accessed via website:
http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/liberia


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