OCHA Situation Report No. 116
Liberia
4 - 10 September 2004


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

A. General Situation

Highlights

NCDDR disagrees with UNMIL on ending DDRR 30 October

The National Commission on Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration and 
Rehabilitation, set up by the Transitional Government is in disagreement 
with the United Nations Mission in Liberia about the latter's recent 
pronouncement to end the disarmament program on 30 October this year. Mr. 
Moses Jarbo who is head of the NCDDRR stated that the DDRR should be 
extended as there are fighters in the LURD control area of Voinjama and 
MODEL fighters in Maryland that are yet to be disarmed. There has been no 
official reaction from UNMIL. The SRSG Mr. Jacques Paul Klein made the 
announcement on 1 September that Disarmament would end on 30 October. He 
further stated that after 30 October, anyone found possessing illegal arms 
would be prosecuted according to Liberian Law.

During the reporting period, the European Commission and UNDP-Liberia 
signed last week a 5 million Euro EC Contribution Agreement to the UNDP 
DDRR Trust Fund. This amount will be used entirely to support 
rehabilitation and reintegration activities.

A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between European Commission 
and UNDP Country Office and two local implementing partners (LOIC and 
CESD). Both projects (3,369,145 Euros) have been launched this month and 
are targeting a total of 2,940 ex-combatants. The Joint Implementation 
Unit and UNDP are providing supervision and support.

ERF Field Trip to Zwedru, Greenville and Buchanan

A four-member ERF team traveled to Grand Gedeh and Sinoe from 31 August to 
3 September, on a four-day mission to assess acute emergency needs of the 
population. While in those areas the team held meetings with stakeholders 
and briefed them on the goals and guidelines of the Emergency Response 
Fund. As a result of visits to various areas and in consultation with a 
number of local stakeholders, the team identified the following as acute 
needs: rehabilitation of the agricultural sector in peri-urban areas and 
the WATSAN sector in Zwedru and Greenville. The Emergency Response Fund 
also met with UNHCR field staff to discuss the results of the latter's 
countrywide needs assessment.

In line with its mandate, the ERF will address gaps in areas of 
intervention and funding where NGOs or other UN agencies are unable to 
respond. The ERF also recently approved a grant to Merlin to continue 
primary health care provision throughout Grand Bassa County.

German Agro Action starts Mainstreaming of the "Do No Harm"/LCPP in 
Liberia

The German Agro Action will begin training and dissemination services to 
interested organizations working in Liberia for the next six months. A GAA 
consultant is in the country to begin mainstreaming of the "Do No 
Harm"/Local Capacity for Peace Project (DNH/LCPP) co-funded by ECHO and 
OFDA. The training of managers begins 9 September. Other training sessions 
are scheduled for late September and October after which the consultant 
would be available to support agencies in using the approach for their 
internal planning and evaluation purposes. Dissemination sessions would 
run from October to end of January 2005. The Local Capacity for Peace 
Project (LCPP) was launched in 1994 when a number of international and 
local NGOs formed a collaborative association to learn more about the 
secondary impacts of aid provided in conflict and post conflict settings. 
The project sets out to answer the question: "How can humanitarian or 
development assistance be given in conflict situations in ways that, 
rather than feeding into and exacerbating the conflict, help local people 
to disengage and establish alternative systems for dealing with the 
problems that underlie the conflict. The 'Do No Harm' approach provides 
agencies and their staff working in situations characterized by tension, 
instability and post-conflict recovery with a tool to analyze and redefine 
and redesign programs to avoid negative impacts on inter-group relations.


B. COORDINATION

Key camp management Issues Highlighted

During the reporting period, there continues to be gaps in sectoral 
interventions, i.e. shelter, health, protection, watsan, due to limited 
funding capacity on the part of agencies intervening in the camps. Service 
providers/donors report of the non-availability of funds for the fiscal 
year ending December 2004. The non-availability of funding could cause the 
withdrawal of camp management agencies from the IDP camps. Such action if 
allowed to exacerbate could result to serious problems in the sectors 
including poor conditions of sanitation in the camps. In order to avert 
this, OCHA/HCS continues to flag this issue at various forums. The 
Emergency Response Fund is also being urged to fill in and support some of 
the funding gaps. The ERF has encouraged camp management agencies to 
identify funding constraints through the camp management and IDP Committee 
for these needs to be systematically prioritized and vetted by the 
authorizing Committee. The Fund will then endeavor to respond to these on 
a case-by-case basis. There are also indications that as the October date 
for the official repatriation of IDPs to their areas of origin draws near, 
focus is concentrated on rehabilitation of areas of return. In this 
connection, the HCS is organizing sensitization workshops for IDP camp 
leaders and camp managers who in turn would sensitize the IDPs.

Grand Bassa Humanitarian Coordination Meeting

A Humanitarian Coordination meeting was held at ICRC premises on 9 
September. The key humanitarian concerns raised were in the health and 
water and sanitation sector and constrained access due to the condition of 
the roads and bridges. The health needs in District 2 near Kamo town were 
also highlighted as still critical. In response MSF-H will now be opening 
a static clinic in Compound 2. They will also continue to operate the 2 
static clinics in District 3 and 1. ICRC also reported that they had just 
received a surgeon and their ex-ray facilities and lab were open. Overall 
it was felt that health services in Grand Bassa were still not at pre-war 
level mostly due to lack of Liberian medical staff and lack of medical 
supplies and drugs available. It was also reported that only 20% of the 
Liberian medical staff were on the government payroll. In the Watsan 
sector, Solidarities, an international NGO also reported that they had now 
completed their program funding in Grand Bassa and would be withdrawing in 
the coming week. In total they have installed 50 new wells, rehabilitated 
70 wells, and distributed 100 new pumps. They are presently distributing 
gerry cans in all communities where they had worked. ACF is also in the 
process of withdrawing from Grand Bassa there are concerns that there may 
be humanitarian gaps in the sector that need to be addressed. In the 
meantime CONCERN is still doing Watsan, but focusing on food security 
wells. There are also still access difficulties related to the disrepair 
of key roads and bridges. Although the joint assessments with UNMIL, 
HCRRR, and INGOs have taken place, construction has yet to begin.

WFP, LRRRC and Camp Management Committees on Hut Count

WFP, LRRRC and Camp Management Committees are continuing with the hut 
count exercise in Bong and Margibi Counties as part of the IDP data 
consolidation exercise. The hut count exercise is expected to be completed 
by 10 September is being conducted periodically due to abandonment by IDPs 
returning home spontaneously or the huts are found to be either under 
construction or damaged. The verification process will lead to deleting 
abandoned, unoccupied, damaged or non-existent huts in order to 
harmonizing WFP feeding logs as no further increase in IDP caseload are 
expected.

UNHCR deploys Community Empowerment Projects Workers in Lofa

Four districts in Lofa County; Voinjama, Zorzor, Salayea and Kolahun have 
received some 35 workers under UNHCR Community Empowerment Project (CEP). 
The primary task of the CEP workers is to provide guidance to residents in 
identifying needs and facilitation in developing proposals, specifically 
targeting women, the youth and the disabled.  Proposals are being received 
from various communities in areas of return and UNHCR will provide funding 
through its partners for the implementation of the Community Empowerment 
Projects. The CEP is involved in, small-scale interventions managed by 
communities themselves that includes programs aimed at combating HIV/AIDS, 
Malaria, SGVB, skill-development, peace building programs, environmental 
protection and capacity building to communities.

During the reporting period UNDP and UNHCR went on a joint mission to 
Bong, Nimba, and Grand Gedeh Counties from 31 August until 8 September 
2004. The objective was to establish the last two "District Development 
Committees" (DDC) in Bong. The team also visited for the first time Grand 
Gedeh and Nimba in order to inform and mobilize the population about the 
establishment of DDC's. In Grand Gedeh, the team observed the election of 
two DDC's. Training of the members of the DDC's in Bong is under 
preparation and is tentatively start before the end of September.

UNDP recently participated in a study mission to Sierra Leone to examine 
the "Transitional Support Teams" (TST) as a case study for Liberia's 
Transitional Recovery Teams (TRT). The team concentrated on the 
institutional framework, the roles and responsibilities of UN-Agencies and 
relevant government institutions, staffing and logistical requirements, 
coordination effectiveness, and lessons learnt that could be useful for 
the Liberian TRT.

The Liberian Minister of Internal Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Planning 
and Economic Affairs and the Governance Reform Commission were part of the 
team.

Phase One of the IDP Community Watch Team Training Ends

During the 2-4 September LRRRC/UNHCR training for Camp Watch Teams (CWT) 
in the six IDP camps of Bong County, some 63 team members received 
training on Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, CWT guidelines, 
working with the police and other authorities, SGBV, child protection and 
the participation of women in the CWT. The training was facilitated by 
LRRRC, UNHCR Protection and Field Safety Unit, IRC, CIVPOL and SCF-UK was 
aimed at providing guidance to the IDPs on how to respond in the wake of 
incidence of criminality in the camps that often resulted to situations of 
SGBV. At the end of the training, raingear, flashlights and whistles were 
distributed to the participants.

Supervisors trained for Returnee identification

Supervisors identified by the Norwegian Refugee Council have been trained 
by staff of that International NGO and UNHCR Protection Unit on 
identification of returnees and how to conduct assessment of communities. 
The supervisors are to be deployed in each of UNHCR seven regional offices 
in the country to oversee the work of the monitors. In a related 
development, UNHCR is holding discussions with local authorities in 
Maryland County regarding issues of registration and border monitoring 
activities as well as identification of crossing points and the Community 
Empowerment Projects. UNHCR has drawn up a tentative plan for monitoring 
activities outside of Maryland, to include River Gee and Grand Kru 
Counties. Monitoring activities in these Counties is significant to 
planning of interventions and for purposes of reintegration of returning 
populations and their communities.

RRR and Mercy Corps meet on Reconciliation Assessment

As part of the ongoing reconciliation assessment, the Relief, Recovery and 
Rehabilitation (RRR) officers met with Mercy Corps, which is implementing 
the Community Peace Building and Development Program with funding from 
USAID for next 5 years. The program began in January 2003 and is being 
implemented in Montserrado, Margibi and Grand Bassa Counties. The program 
works with elected community development communities, including a 
sub-group on peace building, in order to empower them to fully participate 
in community development. The project is envisioned for 100 communities. 
To date, 97 communities have already benefited from this program.

RFTF Working Committee #3 (RWC) on Refugees, Returnees and IDPs presents 
Updates on Return

The RWC#3 on refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons met 
during the period to present updates on preparations for refugee and IDP 
return operations by UNHCR and the Joint Planning Team. LRRRC gave a 
briefing on its actions to launch the start of the County Resettlement 
Assessment Committee (CRAC) and its national counterpart, the Security 
Assessment Committee for Resettlement (SACR). In addition, comments on 
Cluster 3's inputs to the RFTF Activity Tracking Sheet (RATS) were also 
provided in order to ensure that all of its activities are being properly 
reflected in the upcoming report of the RFTF Implementation Committee 
(RIMCO).

WFP, UNHCR & IOM hold consultation on IDP verification ahead of October 
Resettlement

WFP, UNHCR and IOM agreed in the meeting of the Joint Planning Team for 
the Resettlement that there is a need to verify and register all of the 
IDPs living in camps before the planned resettlement starts in October. 
The required costs for the verification and registration exercise will be 
estimated and shared amongst all agencies concerned. Although no areas 
have been declared safe for return as yet, the planning committee 
indicated that Bomi and Bong Counties are likely to be declared safe 
first.


C. HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES BY SECTOR

Food Aid

During the reporting period, WFP provided a total of 41 Mt of food to some 
2,356 ex-combatants as wet feeding and take home rations at the various 
cantonment sites and ICCs in Bomi, and Montserrado Counties. The Country 
Office received some 140 Mt of Veg. Oil during the week, aboard M/S 
Safmarine Asia Vessel. The received commodity will be utilized in the 
September food distributions. Still expected for September distribution is 
240 Mt of Veg Oil (loan from Abidjan) to supplement the Veg Oil 
requirements for September. WFP continues to face a critical pipeline 
break in October on the following commodities: 5,407 Mt of Cereals 
(representing 100% requirements), 212 Mt of Veg Oil (representing 44% 
requirements) and 101 Mt of CSB (representing 12% requirements). 
Additional pledges are urgently needed to avert a shortfall of 8,973 Mt of 
cereals, 281 Mt of pulses and 788 Mt of Vegetable Oil, 337 Mt of CSB and 
42 Mt of Salt from September through December.

Agriculture & Food Security

FAO commences Fishery Project

The food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, has 
commenced the implementation of a fishery project, titled, "Emergency 
Assistance to Artisanal Fishery and Re-Integration of Ex-combatants into 
the Inland and Marine Fishery Sectors". The project aims at supporting the 
rehabilitation of the artisan fishing sector both marine and inland as a 
means of strengthening the capacity of fishers. It is also geared towards 
improving the living condition of people dependent on the sub-sector. The 
project will initially be concentrated in the coastal counties of 
Montserrado and Grand Cape Mount. It will provide essential fishing gears, 
related equipment and training to revive and to sustain the livelihood of 
an estimated 1,500 crisis-affected artisanal fishers, majority of whom are

women fishmongers and processors. This effort on the part of FAO will 
quickly stimulate increased production and supply of fish and fish 
products and will raise the nutritional status of over 20,000 war-affected 
women, men and children. In addition, the project will encourage the 
re-integration and resettlement of 200 ex-combatants into targeted 
communities, by providing training and basic inputs through which they can 
generate income for self-employment and better livelihood.

Education

UNICEF Supports Implementation of ALP

In preparation for the implementation of the Accelerated Learning Program 
(ALP) starting academic year, 2004/2005, UNICEF Education Unit has 
completed the assessment of 13 and 9 schools respectively in Bong and 
Nimba counties. UNICEF has begun the reprinting of some 2,000 copies each 
of the three levels ALP Teachers' manuals for distribution to the schools. 
UNICEF will fund minor renovation of the schools, provide educational 
supplies and train the teachers in the use of ALP materials.

Health and Nutrition

WHO and Ministry of Health prepare for National Sub-NIDs

Preparatory activities including Micro-planning and training workshops in 
all regions of the country are being conducted by the WHO in collaboration 
with the Ministry of Health for the implementation of a National Sub-NIDs 
in the last quarter of the year. These activities are geared towards 
creating the necessary capacities, awareness, and putting in place the 
relevant mechanisms for a successful implementation of the Sub-National 
Immunization Days (NIDs). Sub-NIDs are conducted in order to capture 
remaining children who were not vaccinated during the National 
Immunization Days. UNICEF has received stock of 2,000,000 doses of Oral 
Polio Vaccine (OPV) required for the two rounds of National Immunization 
Days, NIDs planned for October and November this year.

WHO and the Ministry of Health develop Malaria Control Plan

A draft Comprehensive National Strategic Malaria Control Plan is being 
finalized by the Ministry of Health assisted by a WHO Consultant on 
Malaria Control. The completion of the plan and the hosting of a national 
stakeholders consensus workshop for endorsement and adoption of the plan 
would formalize Liberia's conformity to Global efforts to reduce 
incidences of Malaria.

UNICEF supports BAG's de-worming activities in 4 Counties

Over 2,500 children ages 2 to 5 years in Weala community in Margibi County 
are being de-wormed by the Breastfeeding Advocacy Group, (BAG), a local 
NGO with the support of UNICEF. These activities are being extended to a 
target population of 5,000 students in 50 schools in Montserrado, Grand 
Bassa, Bong, Margibi and Bomi Counties in collaboration with the Ministry 
of Education School Health Division.

SCUK, and MOH conduct assess on Immunization status and disease incidences 
in IDP camps

Over the last two weeks, Save the Children-UK and the Ministry of Health 
and Social Welfare (MOH & SW) conducted an assessment in the IDP camps of 
Monsterrado and Margibi Counties in order to determine child immunization 
status and disease incidences. The assessment coincides with reports of 
increased cases of child malnutrition by organizations working in SFPs and 
various MCHs within the counties. The assessment results are expected to 
establish whether there is a linkage between current cases of malnutrition 
and episodes of child illnesses. WFP is assisting SCF-UK and MOH & SW in 
the analysis of the assessment data. In a related development, a local NGO 
working in Gbehlay-Geh District, Nimba County reported to WFP an 
observation of increased cases of malnutrition in the area. The children 
were reportedly referred to the MSF-CH TFP and AFRICARE SFP centers in 
Saclepea and some to Karnplay clinics.

WFP in consultation with Ministry of Health, IRC and some local 
organizations will be carrying out a rapid nutritional assessment in the 
area to establish the extent of the problem and discuss possibilities of 
interventions

Protection

Inter-Agency Task Force on Abuse formed

In order to respond to increasing reports of sexual violence against 
children of which some victims are as young as two years, an inter-agency 
Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Abuse and Exploitation was formed 
at the Child Protection Working Group meeting of 31 August. A major focus 
of its terms of reference is to engage in awareness raising amongst 
families, communities and at the national level, to strategize how to 
report rape cases and how to support child victims of sexual abuse and 
exploitation. The eight institutions led by the Ministry of Gender and 
Development include UNMIL, Save the Children (UK), UNHCR, and African 
Network for the Prevention and Protection of Child against Abuse and 
Neglect (ANPPCAN).

UNICEF builds Capacity of various groups

UNICEF continues to build the capacity of various groups to include 
representatives of the Liberian Children's Parliament, some twenty members 
have just had a workshop on Modules on Child Protection, Human and Child 
Rights, Leadership, Communication and Advocacy approaches as the 
Children's Parliament begins its work in advocating at all levels on 
behalf of the children of Liberia. The strengthening of the capacity of 
some 83 Peace Keepers and 6 Military Observers plus 3 staff from SEARCH 
and 1 staff from Lutheran World Service in Voinjama and Tappita, is to 
assist the UNICEF beneficiaries in identifying and addressing child 
protection issues and children in the Disarmament, Demobilization, 
Rehabilitation and Reintegration process. At the same time, some 150 
police recruits under the aegis of a local NGO, ANPPCAN, and with the 
support of UNICEF have completed training on Child Rights and Child 
Protection that included training on Administration of Juvenile Justice in 
Liberia that was administered by the Juvenile Court Judge. UNICEF has also 
successfully lobbied for the inclusion of child protection issues in the 
mainstream police training, including the areas of statement taking, 
victim and witness interviewing, care and protection of prisoners.

WATSAN

UNICEF & Government of Liberia collaborate on chlorination of wells

During the reporting period, UNICEF and the Ministry of Lands, Mines and 
Energy chlorinated 2,144 open wells and 87 hand-pump facilities in 
Buchanan. UNICEF provided a vehicle and technical support to help the 
ministry implement the activity.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International                  web: www.cidi.org
     Disaster Information             listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
                                    guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -