Liberia - DHA-40: 12-18 September 1996
Liberia - DHA-40: 12-18 September 1996
LIBERIA
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION REPORT
Period covered: 12-18 September 1996 - No. 40
The information contained in this report was provided by
the Office of the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator
for Operational Activities in Liberia
UN Agencies, International Organisations and NGOs
HIGHLIGHTS
Following nutritional screening of children in Tubmanburg,
Action Contre la Faim (ACF) and Medecins Sans Frontieres
(MSF) report that of over 3,700 children under 12 years of
age who were screened, 82 percent are severely
malnourished. Despite the medical and therapeutic feeding
programmes now in place, children continue to die daily
from their critical state.
Heads of both diplomatic missions and UN Agencies were
addressed by the Chairperson of the Council of State, H.E.
Ruth Sando Perry, who expressed her alarm over the recent
conditions found in Tubmanburg, Bomi County and her concern
that the same conditions exist in Grand Cape Mount. She
drew attention to the problems of insecurity and access to
those areas and pleaded with those in control of the areas
to cooperate with our international friends in this
lifesaving endeavor by creating the necessary safe
corridors to facilitate the delivery of food and medicine
to our starving citizens. She also called upon the
international community to assist with relief items for
what she described as overwhelming humanitarian needs.
On 17 September, UN-DHA representatives met with the
visiting European Union Food Production-Security
representative who is conducting assessments of the current
situation in Liberia, including current and future seeds
and tool programs.
POPULATIONS-AT-RISK
Humanitarian assistance continues at Tubmanburg and
humanitarian activities include: continued food
distribution, medical and therapeutic feeding programmes,
registration of the civilian population, dry ration
distribution, community health assessments, addressing the
special needs of orphans, women and girls and the elderly,
access and security issues, drugs, medicine, soaps and
salts distribution, expansion of community health-post
services and collaborative efforts to reactivate the looted
Tubmanburg hospital.
On 15 September, representatives of the UN-DHA led a small
assessment team comprising WFP, UNICEF and various national
NGO representatives, to Gbah, Bomi County. From Gbah, the
team was to proceed across the Lofa River Bridge to Grand
Cape Mount County where the civilian population has been
cut off from the humanitarian community since early this
year due to factional fighting.
Gbah is the last town in Bomi County before crossing over
to Grand Cape Mount, however, ULIMO-J fighters there would
not permit the team to proceed across the bridge to Grand
Cape Mount, reporting that fighting was still taking place
in the area. Only three days earlier, Gbah was under
control of ULIMO-K, but it is now controlled by ULIMO-J.
Civilians in Gbah reported that they had been taken from
Medina in Grand Cape Mount and are now being held in Gbah
by ULIMO-J for their safety. When ULIMO-J's Gbah commander,
General Mano Zeki, was asked by the leader of the mission
if the civilians were free to go anywhere they wanted, he
stated that they were not allowed to leave unless
authorized by ULIMO-J's top two leaders, Roosevelt Johnson
or General Lincoln. The commander further stated that
unless he received orders otherwise, for the next two weeks
relief workers would not be allowed to cross the bridge
into Grand Cape Mount.
The humanitarian community is very concerned that a
humanitarian crisis of the magnitude found in Tubmanburg is
presently taking place in Grand Cape Mount as evidenced by
the physical condition of civilians taken from Medina to
Gbah by ULIMO-J fighters and by reports from those who have
fled the area.
This marked the second day in a row that the humanitarian
team had been denied the freedom to proceed to Grand Cape
Mount - crossing the lines between ULIMO-J and ULIMO-K
forces. On 14 September, UN-DHA led a similar assessment
mission, but at Kle, Bomi County, the team was denied
permission to proceed to Gbah and on into Grand Cape Mount,
again by ULIMO-J's General Lincoln. Both denials to allow
freedom of movement came despite agreements and assurances
of freedom of movement, negotiated throughout the previous
week and confirmed to UN-DHA on 13 September before with
both the rival ULIMO- J and ULIMO-K faction leaders in
Monrovia and their field commanders on the ground.
By denying freedom of movement for the humanitarian
community to travel safely and at will throughout Bomi and
Grand Cape Mount, the factions continue to perpetuate a
country-wide pattern of abusing whole populations for
selfish ends. Recognizing that the behavior of the factions
has caused the widespread suffering of the Liberian people,
the peace agreement reached in Abuja mandated adherence by
the factions to internationally accepted standards of
humanitarian conduct, violations of which are sanctionable.
The humanitarian community has called upon the respective
faction leaders to take concrete steps to implement the
immediate and unconditional freedom of movement for the
humanitarian community to allow relief assistance to reach
thousands of innocent, suffering civilians, not only in
Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties, but also in the rest of
Liberia.
UN-DHA continues to negotiate for access to Grand Cape
Mount County to allow for a humanitarian needs assessment
to be conducted, followed by the delivery of requisite
relief supplies into the area.
SHELTER
MONTSERRADO
Relocation of IDPS: In order to comply with the request
from the Ministry of Education to close irregular shelters
located in schools by 20 September, the Liberia Refugee,
Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) conducted
sensitization of internally displaced persons (IDPs)
residing in Monrovia Demonstration School, Newport Jr. High
School, D. Tweh High School, Marvi Soni, Boatswain Jr. High
School and Tubman High School. IDPs residing in Boatswain,
Tubman, and the Monrovia College have left of their own
accord. The relocation of IDPs residents in D. Tweh
commenced on 17 September.
The list of irregular shelters, compiled in June, will be
updated following the 20 September deadline to close
school-based irregular shelters. At this time, modalities
of implementation will also be determined.
Plots for single family units have been laid out by the
Lutheran World Federation-World Service (LWF-WS) at Plumkor
and Dixville IDP centres. The construction activities are
likely to be delayed for the following reasons: (1)
unresolved land-rights issues, (2) assistance required by
elderly and disabled IDPs and (3) the lack of motivation to
leave the transit points.
Reverification: The World Food Programme (WFP) and its
implementing partners have begun night population
verification exercises at regular IDP centres. Bensonville
and MVTC verification exercises have been completed both
showing a population decline from pre-April figures. TEAR
Fund will submit the names of IDPs relocated from irregular
shelters to WFP for inclusion in feeding programs.
Services: There has been a general breakdown in health,
water and sanitation services in the IDP centres since 6
April. Despite facing severe constraints in manpower,
mobility and resources, some efforts have been made to
augment services and NGOs interested in supporting shelters
in these areas are encouraged to conduct their own
assessments.
GRAND BASSA
With the large movement of IDPs out of Buchanan, efforts
are underway to relocate IDPs residing in schools to
vacated structures in the main IDP centres.
A UNICEF team traveled to Buchanan to support a mass
chlorination and health- hygiene education campaign in
eight IDP centres and communities following reports of
severe diarrhea. World Health Organisation (WHO)
recommended to ACF that the use of local language animators
could improve the level of coverage under ACF's measles
vaccination campaign.
BONG
UNICEF-UNOPS will complete water and sanitation projects
along the Kakata-Gbarnga highway that were left
unfinished after 6 April.
RESETTLEMENT
Ongoing arguments over resettlement program leadership
between LRRRC and the National Housing Authority-Ministry
of Planning, have resulted in the international
community's withdrawal from the Resettlement Committee's
membership until the government can provide clarification
in writing on this issue.
FOOD, NUTRITION AND LOGISTICS
Based on reports of rising levels of malnutrition,
morbidity and mortality, a meeting was held between UN
Agencies, NGOs and USAID- Food for Peace to focus on
response strategies to critical food shortages in upper
Margibi, lower Bong and rural Grand Bassa counties.
Population data for rural Grand Bassa remain sketchy,
however, an agreement was reached to reduce the caseload
in upper Margibi and lower Bong counties from 300,000 to
211,000. Further reductions were expected pending the
completion of proper registration exercises.
The agreed-upon response strategy included the
standardization of rations scales, validation of
beneficiary caseloads, development of distribution plans,
concurrent monitoring plans, food basket and post
distribution monitoring plans and the conduct of food
security surveys.
Overall food rations for therapeutic (TFC) and
supplementary feeding (SFC), caretakers and hospital in
patients were agreed upon (all rations expressed in grams
per person per day), as follows:
a.TFC phase one: 345g Nutritset-milk.
b. TFC phase two (with DSM): 100g CSB, 155g veg. oil,
115g sugar, 160g Nutritset-milk,70g bulgur, 70g
pulses, 70g rice, 100g BP 5.
c. TFC phase two (with therapeutic milk): 150g CSB, 30g
veg. oil, 20g sugar, 345g Nutriset-milk, 100g BP 5.
d. SFC dry rations: 400g CSB, 60g veg. oil, 40g sugar,
100g BP 5.
e. SFC wet ration: 100g CSB, 20g veg. oil, 20g sugar, 90g
nutriset-milk, 100g BP 5.
f. Patients: 100g CSB, 45g veg. oil, 300g bulgur, 80g
pulses, 50g DSM.
g. Caretakers: 100g CSB, 70g veg. oil, 15g sugar, 350g
bulgur, 80g pulses.
Given the uncertainty of the security situation in
Tubmanburg, MSF and ACF recommend wet feeding to replace
general food distribution in Tubmanburg as a means of
guaranteeing that the civilians are able to receive and
consume the food provided. Soup kitchens will begin
serving a supplementary wet ration of CSB-oil-sugar to
malnourished adults in the city. As their condition
improves, this will be substituted with
bulgur-pulses-oil.
Soup kitchen (SFC): 400g CSB, 70g veg oil, 40g sugar.
Soup Kitchen:400g bulgur, 70g pulses, 70g veg oil.
A two-tier ration scale was also agreed upon. A displaced
ration comprising of 200g per person per day (PPD) of
bulgur and 25g PPD of vegetable oil will be used in
relatively better-off locations to include the shelters
along the Kakata-Gbarnga highway. A supplementary rations
of 300g PPD bulgur, 25g PPD of veg. oil and 125g PPD of
CSB will be used in areas with higher rates of
malnutrition. Dependent on observed needs, 60g PPD of
pulses may be substituted for the CSB.
MSF and ACF agreed to conduct food security surveys to
establish a coping capacity level immediately after the
first distribution has been completed. It was agreed that
the impact of the harvest season needs to be evaluated
for possible readjustment of the second delivery schedule
and beneficiary targeting.
Concern was expressed over the relative security of
propositioned food stocks outside ECOMOG controlled
areas. It was agreed that, where possible, food should be
distributed from the back of the truck and
pre-positioning used only as a last resort. Premixing of
supplementary, dry rations, as a deterrent to looting or
sale, was also supported.
Regarding WFP's food shortage - stocks are estimated to
run out by the end of October -new figures will be
generated based on adjusted case loads and possible
regional transfers. WFP announced that such a transfer
from San Pedro, Cote dIvoire, would arrive on 22
September carrying 500 MTs CSB, 500 MTs pulses and 300
MTs bulgur. Additional shipments totaling 4,200 MTs of
assorted food commodities are being arranged by the WFP
Regional Emergency Coordination Office in Abidjan.
USAID-Food For Peace stated that they will try to make
available additional food aid but stressed the need for
increased information on the response and its impact on
the problem.
FOOD DISTRIBUTION
During the reporting period, WFP delivered 179 MTs of
assorted food commodities in Bomi County, including: 144
MTs were distributed to 19,743 beneficiaries residing in
Tubmanburg, Government Farm and surrounding communities
at various distribution points, 2 MTs were delivered to
MSF to initiate a therapeutic feeding programme in
Tubmanburg to cater to the needs of 500 severely
malnourished children, 3 MTs were delivered to WVI to
open a therapeutic feeding centre at Government Farm,
and, 33 MTs were delivered to MSF for onward distribution
to 7,500 beneficiaries including malnourished children
and elderly persons.
A WFP food convoy carrying 29 MTs of assorted food
commodities for 4,327 beneficiaries residing in Suehn IDP
centres will depart from Monrovia on 19 September.
Approximately seven MTs of bulgur wheat were distributed
to 386 beneficiaries through Food for Work (FFW)
activities at the MVTC and Jah Tondo internally displaced
persons (IDP)centres. The IDP verification exercise was
successfully carried out at the MVTC IDP centre and
results indicate some movement out of the centre,
although continued monitoring will be required to
determine whether this represents a consistent trend.
Beneficiary verification will now precede any food
distribution in the IDP centres.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) reports having distributed
food to Goba Town and Morris Farm in Margibi. CRS have
begun distribution of food in Bong Mines and to
communities along the Monrovia-Buchanan highway.
Distribution in Buchanan will begin shortly.
NUTRITION
Following nutritional screening of children in
Tubmanburg, ACF and MSF report that of over 3,700
children under 12 years of age screened, 82 percent are
severely malnourished. Despite the medical and
therapeutic feeding programmes in place, children
continue to die daily from their critical state. ACF
opened its TFC on 19 September, MSF will open its
facility shortly.
ACF reports the following feeding operations for the
period, 1-7 September:
Monrovia, Montserrado County
Severely malnourished children supported
through therapeutic feeding399
Moderately malnourished children supported
through dry ration distribution 3,581
TOTAL3,980
Buchanan, Grand Bassa County
Severely malnourished children supported
through therapeutic feeding144
Moderately malnourished children supported
through supplementary feeding (wet)1,480
Moderately malnourished children supported
through supplementary feeding (dry)1,140
TOTAL2,764
Gbarnga, Bong County
Severely malnourished children supported
through therapeutic feeding433
Moderately malnourished children supported
through supplementary feeding (wet)363
Moderately malnourished children supported
through supplementary feeding (dry)542
TOTAL1,338
Kakata, Margibi County
Moderately malnourished children supported
through supplementary feeding (dry)83
LOGISTICS
The road from Cote dIvoire remains closed to all but
light vehicles. Save the Children Fund-UK (SCF-UK) and
LWF-WS continue in their efforts to repair the damaged
bridges along the route.
SCF-UK has arranged for the release of 10 CART trucks and
two water tankers from Cote dIvoire. SCF-UK has advised
NGOs that the trucks will be available to transport
supplies in Cote dIvoire and Guinea to Monrovia via the
Nzerekore-Ganta route. Currently SCF-UK has arranged for
the temporary use of PAE-ECOMOG trucks to support NGO
transport requirements in the ECOMOG controlled areas.
MARKET ANALYSIS
WFP reports the 16 September market prices of basic
commodities as follows:
COMMODITY PRICE-BAG COMMODITY
PRICE-GAL
Indian Long Grain RiceUSD 23.75 Gasoline
USD 0.94
American Long Grain RiceUSD 26.56 Fuel Oil
USD 1.19
Bulgur Wheat USD 15.00 Engine Oil
USD 3.25
Vegetable Oil USD 4.38 Kerosene
USD 2.00
The rate of exchange on the parallel market is LDD 80.00
to USD 1.00.
WFP stock balances as of 17 September were:
Bulgur wheat3765 MTs
Vegetable oil563 MTs
CSB ---- MTs
Pulses72MTs
Miscellaneous39MTs
TOTAL 4439 MTs
HEALTH
UNICEF provided drugs and medical supplies to World
Vision International (WVI) as part of its support to the
therapeutic feeding programme at Government Farm, Bomi
County and UNICEF provided measles vaccines, stationeries
and medical supplies to MSF for its activities in Bomi
County. UNICEF also conducted training for 24 vaccinators
who will participate in the upcoming measles vaccination
campaign in Tubmanburg.
UNICEF attended an emergency meeting at the Ministry of
Health and discussed health interventions in Tubmanburg
related to therapeutic feeding programmes, Expanded
Programmes of Immunization (EPI) activities, curative
services and water and sanitation.
The Minister of Health has stated that the Ministry's
policy, related to the effective coordination of relief
in Bomi and Cape Mount, is to evenly distribute operation
and relief services in all affected areas. The Minister
also stressed the Ministry's policy of encouraging UN
Agencies and international NGOs to maximize the
utilization and collaboration of local NGOs in their
work. He recalled that the effectiveness of local NGOs
had been demonstrated during the April crisis when many
international NGOs pulled out of Liberia and the local
NGOs filled the vacuum.
The Cholera Control Committee (CCC) reports that in terms
of information, education and communications, activities
at the community level have increased with the active
participation of residents and with the cooperation of
UN-DHA. The involvement of inhabitants of the ten
high-risk communities has strengthened efforts to create
awareness on safe drinking water, handling of food and
environmental sanitation. Local initiatives have also
been enhanced through group discussions and increased
one-to-one contact. WHO representative reported that the
number of cholera cases reported had declined in the
second half of August, likely due to less rain, but that
the first half of September, which has been very rainy,
has shown a rising trend of cases. He warned that the
cholera threat still exists and that vigilance has to be
maintained.
WHO reported a measles outbreak in Buchanan which has
spread to Rivercess where it is reported that the
outbreak has killed seventeen children in two villages
alone. Of the ten health facilities in Buchanan, only
three are currently operating due to a lack of basic
necessities. ACF confirmed the report and added that an
ACF team had attempted to travel to Rivercess but had
failed to do so because of poor road conditions. A second
trip is currently being planned.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS-ADVOCACY
CNN, CFI, ITN, BBC, Reuters Television, Associated Press
Television, Television Chile, etc., and other
international and national broadcasters around the world
continued to broadcast video and stories on the situation
and humanitarian response in Tubmanburg.
UN-DHA and various organisations in the humanitarian
community facilitated and conducted interviews featuring
different aspects of the community's response
(therapeutic feeding, access, medical, food, etc.)to the
situation. This has helped to keep the story in the
global spotlight throughout the week.
UN-DHA conducted an interview and broadcast worldwide on
CNN International's Diplomatic License featuring UN-DHA
video of the situation at Tubmanburg and a synopsis of
the humanitarian response for the population.
Radio interviews with UN-DHA and various members of the
humanitarian community continued throughout the week with
BBC: Focus on Africa, BBC: World Service, Radio France
International, etc.
Photographs taken by UN-DHA have appeared in newspapers
around the world, drawing attention to the plight of the
civilians in Tubmanburg.
UN-DHA produced and issued three international press
releases throughout 13-15 September. These dealt with the
security situation in Tubmanburg and the continuation of
humanitarian relief assistance to the area and with the
denial of the freedom of movement for the humanitarian
community to move into Grand Cape Mount County. National
newspapers and international wire services have printed
articles based on the issues addressed in these press
releases.
Extensive front-page national print media coverage has
continued throughout the week, featuring photos and
numerous articles on the plight of the population and the
humanitarian community's continued response in Tubmanburg
in all Liberian newspapers. The Tubmanburg issue is also
being used editorially to call upon the factions to cease
hostilities and allow humanitarian relief supplies to
move into inaccessible areas, particularly Grand Cape
Mount.
The seventh issue of The Liberian Humanitarian Community
Newsletter, with a focus on Tubmanburg, was published and
widely distributed. The Newsletter features articles on
accessing the civilian population, an update on current
humanitarian activities underway and the nutritional
status of children, and a report on the denial of access
of the humanitarian community to Grand Cape Mount.
The Liberian Humanitarian Community Radio Report was
produced and broadcast daily on national radio station
ELBC, featuring four, five-minute reports, each broadcast
twice on: the Rights of the Child, the Principles and
Protocols of Humanitarian Operations, a national NGO
profile, and, cholera prevention.
The UNDP Information Officer provided, and UN-DHA
distributed, UN Radio Perspective and Scope reports on
current UN activities around the world to the various
national radio media.
WATER AND SANITATION
MONTSERRADO
150 wells were chlorinated during the week by the
Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Lands, Mines
and Energy and community groups in various parts of
Monrovia and its environments with support from UNICEF. A
total of 3,972 wells has been chlorinated since the start
of the campaign on 6 August.
The Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, with support
from UNICEF, desludged two latrines at the MVTC IDP
shelter, bringing a total of nine latrines desludged
since the commencement of the project on 29 August.
Health and hygiene education and information
dissemination, including self-chlorination
demonstrations, were carried out by the Community
Organisation and Human Development Agency (COHDA), at the
Kpeikor IDP shelter. Sanitation tools procured by UNICEF
(shovels, wheelbarrows, grass cutters, raincoats, etc.)
along with FFW incentives were provided by WFP for 368
sanitation workers. Educational sessions on
self-chlorination and Oral Rehydration Therapy and
Sugar-Salt Solution preparations were carried out in 276
households in New Kru Town and for 300 residents in Duala
by the Liberian National Red Cross with assistance from
UNICEF.
SCF-UK, in collaboration with the Monrovia City
Corporation (MCC) and with the support of UNICEF,
collected and disposed of 700 cubic yards of garbage from
22 skips positioned at various locations in central
Monrovia, utilizing two skip trucks. Mass clearing was
conducted in areas in Monrovia resulting in the disposal
of 450 cubic yards of waste, bringing to a total of 1,150
cubic yards of solids and wastes disposed during the
week.
BOMI
UNICEF provided 1,000-500mg chlorine tablets for the
chlorination of 132 wells in Tubmanburg. Liberian
National Red Cross, Help for Old People (HOPE) and UNOPS
have started sanitation projects.
NIMBA
The Nimba Emergency Reconstruction and Rehabilitation
Organisation commenced the chlorination of open community
wells in Sanniquelle and Saclepea and chlorination
campaigns continue in Ganta and surrounding villages in
Nimba County.
DEMOBILISATION
The Secretariat of the Disarmament, Demobilisation and
Reintegration (DDR) Task Force has continued the exercise
of revising previous DDR plans. It has completed revising
the activities in the demobilisation phase and is
embarking on the review of the bridging activities
between demobilisation and reintegration. However, as the
new concept of disarmament has yet to be formulated by
UNOMIL and ECOMOG, these revisions are tentative.
A workshop on child soldiers for organisations who will
deal with this issue was held during the reporting period
and attendees discussed several papers presented by
UN-DHA, UNICEF and SCF-UK It was recommended that during
the general demobilisation process, child soldiers will
be handed over to the special agencies after the medical
examination stage where they can undergo special
counseling. The meeting also drew up a strategy for
dealing with a sudden release of child soldiers arising
from the current factional, voluntary disarmament.
Additionally, the National Readjustment Commission (NRC)
will deal with the issue of child soldiers has been
requested to convey to the government the urgent need for
the government to come up with a policy and framework for
addressing the issue of child soldiers.
As a follow-up to the previous workshop, the NRC will
hold a two-day workshop on 20 September on war-affected
children. The workshop will be attended by the Minister
of Planning and Economic Affairs. It is expected that at
the end of the workshop, a government policy and
framework for dealing with war-affected children will
have to be established.
SECURITY
On 17 September, two Nationals Patriotic Fronts of
Liberia (NPFL) militia commanders were taken hostage in
Zwedru, Grand Gedeh, by members of George Boley's Liberia
Peace Council (LPC)on arrival in Zwedru as part of a
Joint Cease-fire Violations Committee mission which
included representatives of UNOMIL and ECOMOG. On 18
September, however, the two were released -amidst reports
of having been beaten - after George Boley was ordered by
the ECOMOG Field Commander to intervene personally.
UN-DHA continues to monitor the security and access
situation in and around Tubmanburg to ensure the freedom
of movement for the humanitarian community to conduct its
relief operations.
Monrovia and its environ remains calm and no security
incidents were reported.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Tesema Negash
UN Humanitarian Coordinator - Monrovia
Tel.:(231) 226 041-042
Fax:(874) 175 46 27 (sat.)
Complex Emergencies Division (CED) - New York
Mr. Peter Due
Tel.:(1 212) 963.1731
Fax:(1 212) 963.3630
Inter-Agency Support Branch (IASB) - Geneva
Ms. Deborah Saidy-Mr. Chris Kaye
Tel.:(41 22) 788.6384-788.6385
Fax:(41 22) 788.6386
Press to contact (DHA-Geneva)
Ms. Madeleine Moulin-Acevedo
Tel.:(41 22) 917.2856
Fax:(41 22) 917.0023
Telex: 414242 DHA CH
E-Mail: dhagva at dha.unicc.org