OCHA Situation Report No. 46
Liberia
18 September 2003


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

General Situation

Monrovia is calm but tense. There have been reported incidents around Kru
Junction area and ECOMIL was called in for assistance. Reports of
skirmishes in Ganta in Nimba County have been also received. The
inter-Agency and NGOs mission to Harper returned to Monrovia today and
briefed the UN Agencies and NGOs on their findings. A UN inter-agency
mission also travelled to Salala and Totota where the 4 IDP camps are
reaching full capacity. Urgent need of food, water, water containers as
well as plastic sheeting was reported. Planning has started for assessment
missions in Gbartala and Gbarnga pending a field security assessment which
will take place this week.

Humanitarian Activities by Sector

1.  Food aid

An inter-Agency/INGO mission that travelled to Totota on Tuesday comprised
of WFP, USAID Food for Peace, LWF. Their observations indicated that about
90% of IDPs have now returned to regular camps with pressing needs of
food, water, sanitation facilities particularly non-food items. WFP will
start distributing food on Friday, 19 September with the assistance of
LWF/S and with other implementing partners. Meanwhile Catholic Relief
Services will continue its food distribution to IDPs in Buchanan on
Thursday.

2.  Health and Nutrition

On 13 September, WHO in collaboration with UNICEF with Ministry of Health
have ended the mass immunization campaign for measles in three Counties of
Bomi, Gbarpolu and Grand Cape Mount. About 13,340 children between the
ages of 6 months and 15 years vaccinated against measles and 5,364 had
vitamin doses.

The Emergency health and Nutrition sector held their coordination meeting
today, 17 September. It was reported that WHO, UNICEF, World Vision and
Ministry of Health conducted a rapid nutrition screening in Tubmanburg,
Bomi County from 8-9 September. About 243 boys and 260 girls were
screened. The findings showed that about 6.5% had severe acute
malnutrition, 4.1% had oedema and 16.5% had global acute malnutrition. The
group has recommended general food distribution to the vulnerable
families. They called for urgent need for therapeutic feeding to cater for
cases of severe acute malnutrition and provision for supplementary feeding
to children suffering from moderate acute malnutrition including children
below 6 months and pregnant/lactating mothers.

3.  Water and Sanitation

The City of Buchanan is being divided into 12 zones to allow water to be
pumped from wells to fill bladders located in these zones for use by the
population. UNICEF is preparing the water supply project with an
international NGO, Merlin. And WHO is monitoring water quality and hygiene
promotion and reinforcing the capacity of the Division of Environmental
and Occupational Health of the Ministry of Health

4.  Education

The working group on education met today to review progress made for the
reactivation of the education sector in Liberia and preparation for
opening of schools. Different committees within the larger group have been
set up by UNICEF, Ministry of Education and a number of both local and
international NGOs to focus specifically on training, Food-for-work
programme for teachers, food for Ministry of Education employees,
nutrition for school children, textbook distribution, water and sanitation
needs and the school feeding programme.

Common Services

5.  United Nations Joint Logistic Centre

A common Air services started on 15 September between Abidjan, Monrovia
and Freetown. Information of these services and other activities are
available on their website: www.unjlc.org/home/liberia

6.  Humanitarian Information Centre

Please visit the website www.humanitarianinfo.org/liberia

For further information:

Nicholas McGowan, Reports/Public information Officer
Rosemary Musumba, Public information/spokesperson
OCHA Liberia + (377 47) 53 04 33, + (377 47) 53 00 48
Email: nicholas.mcgowan@undp.org; rosemary.musumba@undp.org


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