OCHA Situation Report No. 66
Liberia
13 November 2003


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

GENERAL SITUATION
I. Highlights

A high-level French delegation headed by Mr.Renaud Muselier, Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs, visited Liberia on 10 November 2003. The aim of
the mission was to give political and humanitarian support to the National
Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL). The mission met with the
Chairman of NTGL, Mr. C. Gyude Bryant and with the Special Representative
of the Secretary-General (SRSG), Mr. Jacques Paul Klein. The delegation
visited a number of projects among them the therapeutic feeding centre at
SKD stadium in Monrovia and the Paynesville community school, the Medecins
San Frontieres (MSF) hospital and a UNICEF supported water and sanitation
project. In the last three months France has contributed Euro 1,000,000 to
Liberia.

II. Assessment Missions undertaken

An assessment mission organized by OCHA, to New Lands (Careysburg), Mount
Barclay and Soul Clinic IDP shelters, took place on 10 November 2003. The
mission followed an expression of intent by LRRRC to recognize these
shelters as official IDP camps. The majority of the people living in the
camps hail from Lofa County. In addition to LRRRC and OCHA. Other Agencies
UMCOR, RADO, PMU, LAPS, Pyramid, GASP and CARD also took part in the
mission. The mission found several needs to be addressed at the New Lands
shelter. An in-depth survey needs to be carried out, since LRRRC has
expressed plans for an expansion of the shelter, including the
construction of a school on its territory. Also, the mission found there
was need to support the water and sanitation facilities. While visiting
the Soul clinic, the mission noted the capacity problems that a medical
clinic built by Merlin and run by Mercy Corps, was encountering capacity
problems, due to very high demand on its services.

III. Assessment Missions planned

World Food Programme (WFP) is organizing a food distribution mission 13-14
November 2003 to Lovee, 11 kilometres south of Sagleipie. The mission will
be escorted by UNMIL. The mission plans to distribute 24 metric tons (MT)
of food to 2,714 recently displaced persons in Lovee.

WFP and other partners are planning for a road convoy to Sagleipie
carrying food relief assistance to depart possibly by the end of the week.

IV. Camp Management

The Bong County Camp Management Group had a meeting 11 November 2003 in
Totota. It was reported that Medecins Sans Frontieres-France (MSF-F) had
increased its supply of water to the Maimu 1 and 2 IDP camps in Totota,
from 82,000 litres to 195,000 litres. Action Contre la Faim (ACF) has
developed a program to support water and sanitation in response to the
expansion of those camps. The mission was also informed that MSF-F has
begun to supply 15,000 litres to Maimu 3 in Totota, along with developing
a pool, as a contingency measure in case of a population increase. The
Bong County Health Team reported that a mobile clinic is planned for
Gbarnga, in response to the looting and destruction of the Phebe hospital
there. It was also reported that the Phebe Hospital has submitted a
proposal to World Health Organization for medicines.

Save the Children UK reported that it has begun constructing a health
facility in Maimu 2 in Totota, to support and provide supplementary
Reproductive Health and Sexual Health (RHS) care and services for IDPs in
Totota community, saying that this facility will not duplicate services
already being provided by MSF-F. The Bong County Health Team reported that
it had fielded a team to the six villages around Salala, which had
recently been affected by the outbreak of diarrhoea. The team noted that
the frequency had slowed down, but requested water and sanitation sector
agencies to intervene to avert future outbreak.

It was reported that the Curran hospital mobile team would start a mobile
clinic in parts of Lofa County, as a direct response to the inter-agency
assessment mission, which took place in October 2003.

The Lutheran World Federation/World Service (LWF/WS) reported that 510
families had been registered in seven schools in Frelala, Salala and
Totota, and that support was being provided for those families for the
construction of makeshift shelters. It further reported that food
distribution was expected to begin for IDPs in Bong County, following the
last round in late September/early October 2003.

HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES BY SECTOR

1. Food aid

On 8 November WFP distributed 7.2 Metric tons of assorted commodities to
481 IDPs in Fendell.  Distributions were also conducted at Rick's camp on
8 November for 401 beneficiaries with 6 MT of food and at VOA camp,
Montserrado on 10 November for 900 IDPs with 13.6 MT of assorted
commodities.

2. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

The relocation exercise for IDPs continues. 700 IDPs were relocated from
Firestone to Unification Town during the course of last week, 6-7 November
2003.

3. Health & Nutrition

A seven-day Measles immunisation campaign was completed on Saturday, 8
November.  The campaign was a joint initiative undertaken by UNICEF, WHO,
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Save the children-UK, IRC and
MERLIN.  This campaign brings the total number of children from 6 months
to below 15 years of age immunised to 440,523.  A three-day workshop in
preparation for the nutrition survey in Monrovia also began on Saturday, 8
November, drawing on participation from the Ministry of Health and Social
Welfare, the Ministry of Planning, and international and local NGOs.  The
nutrition survey represents a collaborative effort between UNICEF, WHO,
WFP, the Ministries of Health and Social Welfare and Planning and Economic
Affairs and is scheduled to begin 13 November.  The survey should enable
estimations for the prevalence of malnutrition among under fives, vitamin
A coverage, and mortality in the general population and morbidity in under
fives.

4. Education

UNICEF support to the Back to School campaign continues with Teacher
Orientation training.  During the week of 7 November, 1,600 teachers were
trained in Emergency Response to Education and effective use of the
School-in-a-Box kits.  These training sessions are being conducted at the
University of Liberia in Monrovia and the Kakata Rural Teacher Training
Institute and will continue through the end of 2003.  This week, four more
training sessions will be conducted for additional 1, 600 teachers.

COMMON SERVICES

7.  Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC)

New products:

- A geographic map showing county, district and clan administrative
boundaries

- A map showing various health sub-sectors activities [immunization, basic
health, water and sanitation, health education and nutrition] on district
level

For details go to: www.humanitarianinfo.org/liberia

8. United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC)

The Humanitarian Operations Centre will be operational starting next week.
Representatives from UNJLC, FITTEST, Air Operations, HIC, UNSECCORD, Civil
Military Coordination (CIMIC), UNMIL and a focal point for NGO Liaison
will be present at the Operations Centre, which will be situated in the
WFP conference room.

WFP flew a passenger flight into Spriggs Payne Airport on 7 November. It
is expected that humanitarian air operations will eventually be focused at
Spriggs Payne after certain safety requirements are fulfilled. WFP has
obtained a waiver for landing charges and a 50% reduction in handling
fees.

Initial information is being collected for use in the compilation of a
comprehensive planning map of Roberts International Airport (RIA). This
will take a form similar to that of the UNJLC Freeport of Monrovia
planning map.

UNJLC met with the new Managing Director of the Monrovia Freeport
Authority to discuss the pending agreement for warehouse space for UN
Agencies.

Preparations continue for the UNJLC coordinated comprehensive roads
assessment for Liberia. Preliminary training in the use of GPS and other
equipment is being conducted by HIC for the field assessors.

For details go to: www.unjlc.org/home/liberia


distributed by
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International                  web: www.cidi.org
    Disaster Information             listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
comments/suggestions/requests to incident@cidi.org