OCHA Situation Report Update 67
Liberia: IDP Return
22 May 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

1. General

As part of the ongoing monitoring in communities of return, the IDP
return implementation Unit sent out three separate teams to Lofa,
Gbarpolu and Bomi counties to visit towns and villages to assess how the
returned IDPs are settling in as well as the availability of basic
social services that will sustain the return. This SITREP focuses on the
findings of the Lofa team. Reports form the other teams will be included
in the coming week. Also included in this edition is a report from the
Tubmanburg area.

2. Return communities in Zorzor District, Lofa County

The team which visited return communities in Lofa, came across several
former IDPs who greeted them with joy and expressed their gratitude to
all those who made their repatriation possible especially the UN
agencies and NGOs. They also expressed gratitude to the International
community for the various assistance packages including the transport
grants which made their journey successful. The team observed the
ongoing reintegration activities conducted by the humanitarian
community, Local government authorities and the returnees themselves.
Communities visited by the team includes: Kilewu, Boi Town and
Kpassagizia Town respectively. Below are some of the highlights of the
situations in these communities.

a) Kilewu Town

This town is located about 7-8 Km from Zorzor town on the main highway
to Voinjama. The town was completely deserted and shelters demolished
during the war. The road leading to this town is in a very bad state.
However, in spite of the condition, the team arrived in the town where
an elementary school building has been rehabilitated by UNMIL under her
quick impact projects (QIPs).

Population and Shelter:

The town had a pre-war population of about 2,500 inhabitants residing in
400 houses. At the moment there are about 1,000 persons who have
returned and are living in 97 houses. The returnees appear to be
restarting their lives despite the many challenges confronting them.

Security:

Security is calm. UNMIL PAKBAT patrols the area occasionally; at most
once a month probably due to the bad road condition and/or improvement
of security situation, the mission was informed.

Local government authority:

There is a presence of local government authority at the level of town
chief whom is responsible for the overall administration of the town
(i.e. organizing inhabitants to engage in community development
activities such road side brushing, clean-up campaign, conducting town
meetings, etc.) and maintenance of peace and harmony amongst the
inhabitants.

Rule of law:

There is no court or police. The town chief handles all the cases of
dispute in conjunction with a group called "community peace council"
(CPC) set up by an INGO called "Community Habitat and Finance" (CHF).
The CPC comprises 12 members (men, women, youth and elders). Their work
seems to helping the community and the town chief in resolving despites
among the community.

Education and Health:

The town has an elementary school rehabilitated by UNMIL QIP. The school
has an enrolment of 132 pupils (male 69, female 53) and 9 instructional
staff. UNICEF in collaboration with CCF provides school supplies. The
principal informed the mission that the WFP School feeding program which
served as inducement for most of the kids have not been forthcoming
since January, 2006. There is no health post. Residents who are taken
ill are taken to Zorzor for treatment.

WATSAN:

There were no hand pumps in the town before the war. There are at the
moment two hand pumps constructed by LWF/WS. GTZ dug a well 18 feet deep
in the town in 2005 and is yet to install the pump. Residents would like
GTZ complete the pump or have them backfill it because of the danger it
poses to passers by.

Agriculture and livelihood activities:

As a matter of custom, individual families are involved in farming
activities especially the earlier arrivals. Those who returned early in
2005 were given vegetable seeds such as pepper, bitter ball, okra, etc.
and tools by an INGO called Community Habitat and Finance (CHF). To
further enhance the livelihood and agricultural reintegration
activities, Concern Worldwide distributed seed rice (25 Kg. each) to 62
families on May 07, 2006, about a week ago.

Other NGO activities:

In 2005, CHF distributed shelter materials (metal roofing sheets, nails,
hammers, etc.) to those returnees who returned by then. Each family was
given 1=BD bundles of zinc (30 sheets). Though the returnees were thankful
to CHF, they informed the mission that the quantity of zinc given could
not cover an entire family shelter therefore families had to combine
their zinc sheets for one house and have the other covered with the
plastic sheeting donated by another INGO. They claimed that returnees in
Voinjama district are receiving 3 bundles of zinc (60 sheets) per family
from an INGO called Peace Winds Japan (PWJ). However, this claim could
not be verified as PWJ is not present in Zorzor district where the
mission stopped. Also in 2005, CWW distributed non food items (NFIs) to
returnees in this town. The item included plastic sheeting, soap,
buckets, sleeping mats, etc.

b). Boi Town

This town is located 8 Km off the main highway towards Voinjama. Like
Kilewu, the road leading to this town is in a very bad state. This town
was also completely deserted during the war and all of its houses
demolished. The oldest house in the town at the moment we were told is
less than two years old. The town has at the moment a population of
about 3000 persons residing in 360 houses.

Security:

Security is calm. UNMIL PAKBAT and International Police Service (IPS)
patrol the area twice a month probably as in the case of Kilewu this is
due to the bad road condition and/or improvement of security situation.

Local government authority:

There is a town chief in place. He is assisted by the quarter chiefs and
women representative. The chief is responsible for the overall
administration of the town and maintenance of peace and harmony amongst
the inhabitants in consultation with the quarter chiefs and women
representative.

Rule of Law:

There is no court or police. Cases of conflict are handled by the chief
in consultation with the community peace council (CPC). The CPC is a
group organized by CHF to assist in handling cases in most of the towns
in Zorzor District. It comprises 12 members drawn from the community
(men, women, youths and elders representatives).

Education and health:

The town has an elementary school which is currently being
rehabilitated. Meanwhile, the school is being run in a makeshift
structure and has an enrolment of 315 pupils (male 205, female 110) and
7 instructional staff. UNICEF in collaboration with CCF provides school
supplies. The mission was informed by the principal, Mr. Yeeverword
Subah that WFP is engaging in school feeding program for the pupils.
There is no clinic. Sick patients are taken to Konia health Center on
the main highway to Voinjama which is 08 km away from the town.

WATSAN:

There are four hand pumps, three of which were constructed by CWW and
one by ACF which is not properly functioning. There are also three
incomplete latrines constructed by GTZ in 2005. Residents requested the
mission to contact GTZ to obtain permission from GTZ to complete them on
a self help basis to begin using them. There are also three washing
slabs that were constructed by CWW in 2005.

Agriculture and Livelihood Activities:

As in the case of other towns, individual families are involved in
farming with assistance from the humanitarian community. ICRC
distributed seeds and tool in 2005. GTZ has a seed rice and cassava
cutting multiplication project on-going. CWW is distributing seed rice,
beans and peanuts to farmer for planting.

NGO Activities:

CWW distributed NFIs in 2005, presently distributing seeds and tools.

CHF distributed metal roofing sheets (zinc) to 89 families in 2005.

ICRC distributed seeds and tools in 2005.

c). Kpassagizia Town

This town is about 18 Km from the main highway on the border with
Guinea. The road leading to this town is relatively quiet.

Population and Shelter:

The pre-war population of this town was about 3,000 persons living in
340 houses. Presently there are about 4, 000 persons living in 525
houses, all of which are new houses. Unlike other town there is not a
single house in this town with zinc roof.

Security:

The mission observed that the security situation appears calm. UNMIL
PAKBAT and IPS patrol there regularly probably due to the relatively
good condition of the road and the proximity of the town to Guinea.
There is an immigration and customs port in the town where a check point
is in place.

Rule of law:

As in the case of other towns, the town chief handles disputes. There is
no CPC in place in this town. The mission was informed CHF has not yet
extended her activities to this town.

Health and Education:

There is no health post in the town but a mobile health team from CURRAN
hospital in Zorzor visits the town once a month. There is an elementary
school which was renovated by LEAF (Liberia Education and Agriculture
Foundation). The school is running and has an enrolment of 327 (male
140, female 187) and 09 instructional staff. As with other schools,
school feeding by WFP is irregular.

Agriculture and Livelihood:

Agriculture activities are carried out by individual families just as
all the other towns. The Lofa Education and Agriculture Foundation
(LEAF) have completed registration of farm families for the distribution
of seeds, tools and food support to beneficiaries.

NGO Activities:

ARC has provided tools to the community to be used by community members.
The tools included carpentry and masonry tools. LEAF renovated School,
distributed seeds and tools. CWW constructed hand pumps. LWF / WS
constructed a hand pump. Reports from Gparpolu and Bomi counties
communities will be publish in the coming week situational report.

3. Camp closure, Consolidation assessment completed in former IDP camps

The camp closure, consolidation exercise initiated in April 2006, has
finally been completed. Findings of the assessment exercise are being
compiled, analyzed and consolidated for recommendations for action. The
report is expected to be completed this month for submission to the IDP
Consultative Forum (ICF) with proposals.

4. Demolition

Demolition of abandoned huts/structures in the various camps has come to
its completion. During the reporting period (April 8 - May 13, 2006), a
total of 2,447 huts were demolished bringing to total 56,147 or 91.97%
of 61,045 structures from the 35 formal and spontaneous camps. Remaining
structures has been requested by landlords and host communities for use
by the communities.

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