Former Yugoslavia - DHA-12: 11.Nov-10.Dec.96
Former Yugoslavia - DHA-12: 11.Nov-10.Dec.96
The Former Yugoslavia Humanitarian Situation Report - No. 12
Period covered: 11 November - 10 December 1996
From the DHA Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer Office
ofthe United Nations Special Representative of the
Secretary General, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Highlights
The 1997 Inter-Agency Consolidated Appeal was launched in
Geneva on 29 November requesting USD 543 million for
assistance in the region and a Donor meeting concerning the
Appeal was held on 11 December in Sarajevo.
The London Peace Implementation Conference took place on 4-
5 December, affirming continued international support for
the Peace Process in Bosnia ad Herzegovina.
NATOagreedinNovember to establish a reduced -
Stabilisation Force- (SFOR) for an 18 month period to
replace the departing IFOR.
UN Agencies dependent on new funds to begin 1997 programmes
due to lack of carry-over funds for early 1997.
General Situation and Events of Humanitarian Concern
1. Winter weather has arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina and
the region, which will seriously hamper continued emergency
shelter and infrastructure work, as well as delivery of
humanitarian assistance.Frequentpowercutsand
intermittent supply of gas in the city of Sarajevo and
elsewhere are causing hardship as well. Continued lack of
fuel in Bihac has hampered the secondary distribution of
foodand other assistance during November and early
December.
2. On 20 November, the Minister of the Interior of the
Government of Germany and the Bosnian Minister of Refugees
signed a bilateral Readmission Agreement, providing for
acceptance by the Bosnian Government of compulsory return
of Bosnian -war refugees-. Concern has been expressed by
UNHCRand other international organisations over the
possibility of large-scale -forced- repatriations this
winter, in view that adequate shelter and other support may
not be available for returnees.
3. The Inter-Agency Consolidated Appeal for Region was
officially launched in Geneva on 29 November and presented
at the UNHCR donor briefing on the same day. USD 543
million is being sought for programmes of UNHCR, DHA, WFP,
FAO, WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNDP, UNHCHR, ILO, UNV and IOM.
This represents a reduction of approximately 1-3 over what
was sought for UN Humanitarian Programme in 1996. In the
Geneva meeting, the SHAO presented a summary of the Appeal
and specifically the DHA role in 1997 for continued support
to the Special Envoy and the SRSG as well as the need for
donor support to the demining programme.
4.TheUNHCRSpecial Envoy convened a meeting of
humanitarianagencies,NGOs, other international and
bilateral organisations and diplomatic missions in Sarajevo
on 11 December to present and discuss the Appeal.
5. The Consolidated Appeal for 1996 remains under-funded
and agencies have continued to reduce activities for the
remainder of the year. With the reduced amount of funds
available at the end of the year, there will be only
minimal carry-over of funds into 1997, which means that
early donor contributions will be necessary if programmes
are to continue without interruption and for new programmes
are to begin implementation.
London Conference
6. At the London Peace Implementation Conference held on 4-
5December,thePeace Implementation Council (PIC)
confirmed its commitment to the full implementation of the
General Frame work Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and
Herzegovina (PA) and its Annexes. It approved an action
plan for the two-year stabilisation period. Within the
Action Plan several components are of direct relevance to
the UN Humanitarian Community. These relate to components
dealing human rights, refugees and displaced persons,
reconstruction, demining and education.
7. Regarding the component dealing with refugees and
displaced persons, the PIC recognised the work to focus
efforts on priority areas for channelling of resources and
projectswith various donor assistance, in order to
facilitate returns. Attention was drawn to the Inter-Agency
Consolidated Appeal for 1997 and the need to implement
activities in 1997 (with adequate funding for UNHCR and
other UN Agencies) to facilitate returns through various
means including focus on
target areas for return and programmes for integration of
refugees and displaced persons opting to settle in areas of
their choice, including in areas other than where they
previously resided
Bosnian Womens initiative
provision of shelter for 60,000-70,000 persons
rehabilitation of health and school facilities
capacity building and repatriation advice for refugees
8. The PIC also noted the importance of close cooperation
between the UNHCR and the World Bank and European Union and
theOHR,concerningsupportof reconstruction and
rehabilitation work to facilitate the return of refugees
and displaced persons. DHA has supported the Special Envoy
throughout the last half of 1996 in facilitating this
cooperation and coordination and will continue to do so in
1997.
9. The PIC noted the urgent need for increased attention to
the mines problem in Bosnia and called for the close
cooperation of all parties assisted by the DHA managed UN
Mines Action Centre. It urged authorities in Bosnia to
reach agreement on the transfer of facilities from the MACs
central and regional offices to the authorities in Bosnia
and Herzegovina by 31 December 1997.
10.ThePICalsonoted the need to support the
rehabilitation of the education and health sectors, areas
in which the UN Agencies have and will continue to play key
roles in 1997.
11. The PIC also welcomed the proposed meeting called by
the High Commissioner for refugees to be convened in Geneva
on16December,wherethetwo-year strategy for
repatriation of refugees and displaced persons will be
discussed.
12. At the Conference, the High Commissioner for Refugees
indicated that the across the board special regime for
temporary protection of refugees from the region no longer
needs to remain in place. The focus will now be on two
fundamental principles of the PA, namely the right to
return to ones home and the right to choose ones place of
future residence in BiH. UNHCR will thus focus efforts in
1997 on helping organised returns to majority areas,
assisting those whom freely choose to relocate to different
areas of BiH, where they feel secure and one initiating
integrationprojects for those who decide to settle
permanently in neighboring countries. UNHCR has noted that
some individuals or groups with well founded fear of
persecution or acute humanitarian needs should continue to
be granted protection or permanent resettlement in third
countries. Confidence measures will continue to support
possibilities for returns to minority areas as well.
Humanitarian Activities, Reports and Meetings
13. The FAO moved its main office for Bosnia from Split to
Sarajevo on 14 November which was fully operational by 18
November. All UN Agencies participating in the Consolidated
Appeal are now represented with offices in Sarajevo. FAO
has confirmed that all primary wheat seed and fertilizers
were received and delivered in time for the winter planting
programme. Planning is now under way for the spring
planting and other FAO proposed programmes for 1997, for
which new funding will be necessary.
14. The suspension of the procedures for returns to the ZOS
was lifted on 26 November and the various Commissions
dealing with applications for returns to the ZOS are once
morefunctioning,thougha much reduced number of
applications were being received. UNHCR has established a -
roving- repatriation team to work directly on repatriation
questions and to facilitate coordination of repatriation
efforts country-wide.
15. Planning for 1997 programmes by all agencies was
accelerated in November and early December, but as noted
above, implementation will be dependent upon early
contributions.
16. The summary report on the Target Area Initiative was
finalised by DHA in Sarajevo and will be available for
general distribution by 13 December. A brochure which
further summarises the results in 1996 of the initiative
is currently being printed and will be available for
distribution at the Humanitarian Issued Working Group
(HIWG) meeting in Geneva on 16 December. Meetings are to
be held with IMG to clarify approaches for shelter and
infrastructure, monitoring and information exchange in
1997, including a discussion of continued focus on target
areas and linkages with returns and repatriation of
refugees from third countries.
17. The DHA SHAO attended two meetings of the Shelter
Task Force Working Group to discuss finalisation of the
World Bank-EU Shelter Paper for presentation to Donors at
the upcoming WB-EU Donor Information Meeting scheduled
for January and the Donor Pledging Conference for
Reconstruction and Rehabilitation assistance, to be held
in February.
18. The SHAO also met with Mr. John Shank of the US House
of Representatives Committee on Appropriations along with
UNHCR representatives and USAID staff to discuss the
Consolidated Appeal and shelter and return programmes for
1997. Routine meetings convened by the UN SRSG were also
attended by the SHAO.
19. The current DHA SHAO will be leaving Sarajevo to
return to his post in DHA Geneva at the end of December.
DHA will continue to provide field coordination support
to the UNHCR Special Envoy and to the SRSG through the
assignment of another Senior Officer to the region by
early January. In the meantime, the DHA National
Programme Assistant will remain in place.
DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS SARAJEVO
Mr. Paul Hebert
Tel.: (387 71) 48 31 05
Fax: (387 71) 44 78 68
E-Mail: hebert@unhcr.ch
COMPLEX EMERGENCY DIVISION (CED) - NEW YORK
Mr. Rashid Khalikov
Tel.: (1 212) 963.9682
Fax:(1 212) 963.3630
E-Mail: dhagva@dha.unicc.org
INTER-AGENCY SUPPORT BRANCH (IASB) - GENEVA
Mr. Arjun Katoch
Tel.: (41 22) 788.6381
Fax:(41 22) 788.6386
E-Mail: Arjun.Katoch@dha.unicc.org
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@dha.unicc.org