OCHA Situation Report No. 70
Liberia
28 November 2003


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

General Situation
I. Highlights

The National Commission on Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and
Reintegration (NCDDRR) is holding its first meeting on 27 November.

The NCDDRR is mandated to provide policy guidance to the joint
Implementation Unit and coordinate all DDRR activities. It includes
representatives from NTGL, LURD, MODEL, ECOWAS, the UN and the
international Contact Group.

There has been no electricity in the country for the last 14 years. For the
first time electricity was restored in the heart of Monrovia on Friday, 21
November. The European Union (EU) is supporting the provision of
electricity through a diesel-powered generator. The full process of
restoring electricity to the capital is likely to take several years.

II. Assessment Missions undertaken

The International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) undertook a mission
together with Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission
(LRRRC) and UNHCR with 5 trucks to Zwedru in Grand Gedeh County, on 23
November 2003. Another mission by ICRC with 10 trucks also took place on 25
November 2003, to deliver agricultural tools to 20 villages around Zwedru.

ICRC has announced a twice weekly flight to Voinjama after a test flight
landed safely. This is the first flight into the airport in 14 years.

III. Assessment Missions planned

An inter-Agency mission to Harper by air took place on 27 November 2003.
The other agencies participating on the mission are WFP, UNHCR, Humedica,
an international German NGO and Caritas. The aim of the mission was to
deliver relief items such as agricultural tools, trauma kits and assorted
Non-Food Items (NFIs).

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is planning a mission to the village Dumpa
in the Saclepea area on 28 November 2003. The convoy leaves the day before.

IV. Sectoral Coordination Group Meetings

The WATSAN sectoral group met on 24 November 2003. UNICEF is planning a
workshop for early next week on water and sanitation issues (WATSAN) in
order to solicit views and expertise of the NGO community (both
international and local) in support of the United Nations Development Group
(UNDG) on-going needs assessment.

Action Contre la Faim briefed the meeting on their assessment mission to
Foya in Lofa County. Reports were of destruction of most structures, in
particular along the main road.

The Education Sectoral group met on 26 November 2003.

UNICEF informed that the teachers have started receiving their salary for
October, and WFP will issue a 3 months ration of Food for Work for all
teachers.

The local NGO Smile Africa International is accommodating many children in
a school next to Perry Camp, Montserrado County, with the help of Don
Bosco. Many of the girls who receive special training in soap making and
production of hair grease, are ex-combatants finding a way back to normal
life.

The IDP Working Group met on 26 November 2003

The relocation exercise from irregular sites/shelters to regular sites
continues at a low level/slow pace. The relocation is affected by the fact
that there is low or no absorption capacity in the regular shelters and
efforts are being made to speed up the construction transit shelters. WFPs
Food Registration has produced good data on the number of IDPs at irregular
sites.

The IDP Committee decided to create a Selection Team, and to identify
Selection Criteria for Lead/Camp Management Agencies as part of
strengthening the management, including reporting and accountability,
relevant to camp management.

Humanitarian Activities by Sector

1. Education

On 11 November, World Vision started the first of a 10-week psychosocial
counselling workshop for 100 displaced teachers and other school
authorities from Grand Cape Mount, Bomi and Gbarpolu Counties, at Wilson
Corner IDP Camp. The workshop aims to help participants understand and
overcome their own trauma levels, which would enable them to better
identify and understand the behaviours and problems of traumatized
students, and to react to them appropriately.

As of 24 November 5,600 teachers have been oriented in Rapid Educational
Response under the Back to School campaign. UNICEF continued its support to
the Ministry of Education in monitoring of schools were School-in-a-Box
kits have been distributed.

2. Water and Sanitation

UNICEF and the NGO EQUIP are collaborating to provide water and sanitation
facilities for IDPs in Nimba County. An estimated 3,600 people in the town
of Bahn and 8,000 people in Saclepea are beneficiaries. In support of the
Back to School initiative, UNICEF is supporting the government in providing
water and toilet facilities to 31 schools in Montserrado and Margibi
Counties.

3. Health and Nutrition

In support of supplementary and therapeutic feeding in Ganta, Nimba County,
UNICEF supplied MSF-CH with BP5 compact food, plastic mats, blankets,
laundry soap, emergency health kits and scales.

WHO reports in its Weekly Surveillance Activities Report for Week 46
(November 10-16) that 911 cases of cholera were reported in week 46. It
also reported 231 new cases of bloody diarrhea (Dysentery), of which about
26% were children less than five years. Malaria saw 6,318 new cases and
there were 1,339 cases of Acute Low Respiratory Infections (ALRI).

4. Food aid

On 24 November 19,899 beneficiaries received food assistance in Monrovia,
Bong and Montserrado Counties. This includes 312 ex-combatants in Compound
No. 1 near Buchanan. A total of 325 Mt of assorted food commodities were
distributed.

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, UNSECOORD, 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


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