OCHA Situation Report No. 60
Liberia
21 October 2003


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

GENERAL SITUATION

The United Nations on 20 October undertook a rapid assessment mission to
Voinjama (Lofa county), the first humanitarian mission to that city in
four years.  This rapid assessment represents the critical first step in
ensuring a sustained UN engagement in Voinjama and Lofa county and is also
a central part of the UN's on going process of progressively providing
humanitarian assistance throughout Liberia.  Voinjama is the fourth of
five humanitarian hubs from which humanitarian assistance would be
delivered.

An inter-agency mission to Totota (17 October), recommends the
verification of numbers of IDPs, possible expansion of the camps to
accommodate influxes.  The extension of support to host communities where
IDPs are provided shelter is also recommended.

HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES BY SECTOR

1. Food aid

As of 19 October WFP has discharged from the "Dania" 959.5 Metric Tons of
Bulgur Wheat and corn/soya blend.  The remaining 732 Metric Tons is
currently being discharged.  In Peter's Town, Harbel, 11,466 Metric Tons
of food was distributed to a caseload of 910 by WFP.  Distribution
continued (21 October) in three refugee camps in Montserrado including
Special and Institutional feeding in Monrovia. WFP indicated that in
Voinjama although most inhabitants were living on "bush food", yams,
bananas, basic vegetables and bush meat, no emergency food assistance was
currently needed in Voinjama, recommending targeted interventions such as
Food for Work and School Feeding should the area become accessible.  The
17 October Inter-Agency mission to IDP camps in Totota and Salala reports
food distribution had taken place in the camps at the end of September and
early October.  For the next distribution registration by WFP is expected
to start in the week of (20 October).

2. Internally Displaced Persons

Following a protest action by IDPs at the SKD stadium, WFP, UNHCR, UNMIL
and OCHA have been holding a series of meetings resulting to favourable
conditions for registration and relocation of IDPs from the SKD.

3. Water, Sanitation, Shelter & NFIs

UNICEF/WHO emergency mass well chlorination project in Monrovia and its
environs has completed the eighth and final round in which 5,872 open
wells were disinfected.

The chlorination project will phase into more community specific targeting
focusing on identified Cholera "hot spots" and related high-risk areas,
hygiene education and promotion and community participation.  In the last
week, Monrovia city Corporation, MCC, OXFAM and UNICEF jointly collected
and disposed of 496 cubic meters of garbage and solid wastes from IDP
centers and urban communities in Monrovia.  The UN mission to Voinjama
observed the need for temporary shelter material will become crucial if
large-scale population returns to Voinjama occur. Many children were
minimally clothed and most in rags.  Non food items, particularly cooking
pots was observed by an Inter-Agency mission to be lacking in transit
centers in Salala.  ICRC distributed NFIs in Miamu camps (1, 2, and 3) in
Totota and plans to distribute tarpaulins and other NFIs next week in the
E.J. Yancy camp.

4. Education

School registration began (20 October) in all seven accessible counties.
UNICEF supported Back to School and Free and Compulsory Primary Education
for Liberia will begin (3 November) On an Inter-Agency assessment mission
to Voinjama all public school buildings were observed to be heavily looted
and roofless.

5. Health & Nutrition

In its weekly surveillance activities (6-12 October) WHO reports an
increase in Acute Bloody Diarrhoea (ABD), Malaria, and Sexually
transmitted infections in Montserrado, parts of Margibi and Bong.  Though
the incidence of cholera is still high, cases reported during the week
indicate a reduction as compared to the previous four weeks.  In Voinjama,
many injured people were awaiting treatment in the city's only clinic that
receives an overwhelming 100 patients a day.  The Common diseases in
Voinjama were malaria, diarrhoea, STDs and skin infections. The degree of
malnourishment could not be immediately determined although the Chief
Medical Officer had indicated up to 40 cases were reported weekly. WHO
presented two medical kits to the clinic as an interim measure.  In
Salala, there was a marked improvement in child nutrition, reports an
Inter-Agency mission (17 October).  As of (17 October) UNICEF reports the
measles immunisation and Vitamin A supplementation campaign had reached a
total of 294, 141 children between the ages of 6 months and 15 years in
Monrovia, Tubmanburg, Buchanan and Totota.

COMMON SERVICES

6.  United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC)

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

7.  Humanitarian Information Centre

For further information and contributions contact Rosemary Musumba, Public
Information Officer/Spokesperson OCHA Liberia +377 47 53 00 48 Email:
rosemary.musumba@undp.org, John N. Clarke, Media/Information Officer, OCHA
Liberia +377 47 530 435 Email: John.Clarke@undp.org.


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