Liberia - DHA-82: 17-30.Jul.97

LIBERIA HUMANITARIAN SITUATION REPORT
Period covered: 17-30 July 1997 - No. 82

The information contained in this report was provided by the Office of
the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Liberia

REPORTING PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS
The final results of the 19 July Presidential elections revealed that
Charles Taylors National Patriotic Party held 75.4 percent of the vote -
as a result, run off elections will not be held.

REFUGEES
Population figures for new asylum seekers have been revised downward to
3,000 arrivals in the Bo-Waterside to Kongo area. Work is proceeding
with the International Federation of the Red Cross-Liberian National Red
Cross-managed transit camp in Sinje, Grand Cape Mount County for the new
arrivals. Approximately 1,000 Sierra Leoneans are now in Sinje.

FOOD AND NUTRITION

Assessments
A joint assessment mission by World Vision International (WVI) and the
Liberian Islamic Union for Reconstruction and Development (LIURD) was
conducted to assess the food needs of a leprosy colony in Grand Cape
Mount County.

Food-for-Work (FFW)
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) continues to supply FFW to the United
Fishermen Cooperative, Inc. and the JFK Hospital Scrap Repair Project.
These two projects are presently training ex-combatants and community
volunteers in fishing skills, net mending, carpentry, upholstery, block
laying, etc.

Childrens Aid Direct (CAD), with assistance from the European Union
(EU), has begun the rehabilitation of six temporary health centres to
serve towns and communities around Tchien and Gbarzon, Grand Gedeh
County. The World Food Programme (WFP) is providing FFW for the
construction of the centres.

CRS continues its monthly provision of food support to over 300
orphanages, feeding programmes and similar activities being carried out
by international and national counterparts in Monrovia, Margibi,
Montserrado, Grand Bassa, Rivercess and Sinoe Counties. This support
includes FFW packages to health staff at hospitals in Monrovia, and
rural health clinics in Grand Bassa, Rivercess, Sinoe and Margibi
counties. FFW serves as a supplement to assist government health workers
who are not receiving a monthly salary from the government.

Food Distributions
WFP is providing seven MTs of assorted food commodities to approximately
1,000 asylum-seekers from Sierra Leone in Sinje, Grand Cape Mount
County. UNHCR has begun a refugee facility in Sinje. Beneficiary
registration is being carried out by UNHCR and its implementing partners
- Liberians United to Serve Humanity (LUSH) and WVI - are overseeing
food distributions. The group arrived in the Sinje area from Bo
Waterside following clashes between AFRC, Kamajors and ECOMOG at that
border point last week.

CRS continued its food security distribution programme in Grand Bassa
and Rivercess Counties and Todes District in rural Montserrado. Todes
District was completed, providing seven clans with a total of 335 MTs of
food. In Grand Bassa, 11,050 beneficiaries were served while in
Rivercess 12,371 beneficiaries received assistance. IDP shelters in
Buchanan and Kakata also received food distributions. In Buchanan, the
shelter population continued to decline to a population of 6,300
individuals, while in Kakata, the beneficiary population stands at
5,130. In Monrovia, 115 MTs of assorted food commodities were
distributed by CRS to 11,379 beneficiaries under the vulnerable group
feeding (VGF) programme.

Malnutrition
Action Contre la Faim (ACF) continues to operate therapeutic and
supplementary feeding centres in four counties. Overall caseloads for
the reporting period for these centres were Montserrado County, 2,678,
Rivercess County, 67, Grand Bassa County, 479, and, Bong County, 777.

A total of 203 malnourished beneficiaries received weekly dry food
rations at WVIs Supplementary Feeding Centre in Tappita, Lower Nimba
County.

Other
WFP is transferring the management of food at its Harper warehouse to
the Lutheran World Federation-World Service (LWF-WS). The warehouse
contains 138 MTs of food. A WFP Food Aid Monitor will oversee the
transfer. LWF-FWS is preparing project proposals which the WFP
commodities can support.

The Geneva UNHCR Desk Officer visited WFP on 28 July to discuss UNHCR
programming in Liberia including proposed revisions to the joint
UNHCR-WFP strategy for Liberia.

As part of WFPs support to agricultural rehabilitation - WFP through WVI
- has agreed to supply 104 MTs of assorted food commodities to a total
of 1,020 farmers in Tewor District, Grand Cape Mount County. The
farmers, most of whom are currently hosts to Sierra Leonean asylum
seekers, are in need of food to support their families during the hungry
season.

The WFP stock position as of 29 July is: 16,759 MTs of assorted food
commodities.

AGRICULTURE

Assessments
A joint mission to six counties comprising the Ministry of Agriculture
(MOA), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), EU, USAID-OFDA and CRS
conducted the post-distribution monitoring of country-wide distributions
of seeds and tools.

Seeds and Tools
The Seeds and Tools Committee has distributed a total of 2,700 MTs of
seed rice via international and national NGOs so far this year. All of
these seeds have been distributed to farmers throughout Liberia with the
exception of 2.6 MTs that remains at the Seeds and Tools Sawmill
warehouse for use by Montserrado Swamp farmers.

The remaining balance of tools is available for distribution to farmers
based on the submission of a distribution plan by requesting NGOs. New
Guidelines have been prepared and distributed among NGOs for the
submission of their proposal plans. On approval by the Seeds and Tools
Committee, the tools will be released to the requesting NGOs.

New Projects
The Government of Sweden has approved a USD 51,000 project to be
executed by FAO that will provide an emergency agricultural inputs to
36,000 war-affected farmers for the September-October planting season.
CRS-Phebe staff and their Farm Belt counterparts are finalizing the
Village Seed Bank in eight villages.

Training Activities
Two MOA fishery technicians, supported by FAO and UNDP, completed and
FAO workshop on the design, construction and use of insulated containers
in artisanal fisheries.

On 29 July, CRS hosted a counterpart workshop with the objective of
developing a frame work-guidelines for the UNOP-CRS sponsored swamp
development projects.

Procurement
Plans are underway by FAO to procure 2,000 cutlasses and a sizeable
quantity of assorted vegetable seeds in preparation for dry season
cropping.

Continuing Activities
Various WVI agricultural programmes - including swamp rice production,
seed multiplication and vegetable harvesting - continue in Montserrado,
Bong, Grand Gedeh, Grand Cape Mount, Lofa and Nimba Counties.

Africare agricultural programmes - including the distribution of
breadfruit seedlings and plantains suckers - continue in Margibi and
Grand Bassa Counties. The laying out of swamp and the transplanting of
rice seedlings under the CARITAS Swamp Development Programme continues
in Bong and Nimba counties.

Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation work has been completed on elementary and junior high
schools in Sucromo, Yalpol, Kpaiyea and Gbonyea, while work is in
progress at Gorlu and Gongola - all located in Salayea District, Upper
Lofa County. The rehabilitation work has been undertaken by Tear Fund in
conjunction with the Ministry of Education and LWF-WS who will provide
school feeding as well as FFW for the construction of facilities at the
schools. Tear Funds rehabilitation of other schools is planned to begin
early next month in Voinjama, Kolehun and Zorzor, Lofa County.

HEALTH

Assessments
An assessment was conducted by UNICEF of 15 Ministry of Health (MOH)
clinics in Montserrado to evaluate additional needs such as:  medical
equipment, furniture and security of facilities.

Health Programmes
During the reporting period, 928 patients were treated at the nine
WVI-operated health facilities in Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Nimba and
Grand Gedeh Counties. Malaria, acute respiratory infections and
diarrhoea remain the most prevalent diseases.

New Services-Programmes
UNICEF, in an agreement with the Montserrado County Health Team, will
support the rehabilitation of two additional health clinics (Bensonville
and Careysburg) as well as make improvements and procure furniture for
seventeen other clinics.

Vaccination Activities
Ongoing Expanded Programme of immunisation (EPI), campaigns by WVI
continue in Government Farm Clinic, Bomi County and Medina Clinic, Grand
Cape Mount County.
Information, education and communication (IEC) activities on the
importance of vaccination are currently being carried out at Government
Farm and Medina to increase the EPI coverage.

WVI health staff also conducted EPI campaigns in Swedru and Ziah Town,
Grand Gedeh County to address increases in the number of cases of
measles in the area.

As a result of a confirmed case of yellow fever in Kpadema, Lofa County,
plans are underway by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and its
partners to begin a massive yellow fever immunization campaign in early
August. The campaign is expected to cover the entire population of Lofa
County.

Health Education Activities
WVI's Senior Health Supervisor for Grand Gedeh County, conducted a one
week Health Service Delivery training for the Officer-in-Charge and the
other staff members of the Ziah Town Clinic, Grand Gedeh County.

A United Nations Volunteer (UNV) has been assigned to WHO to serve as a
training officer under the UNDP-UNFPA sponsored project for
strengthening the National AIDS Control Programme here in Liberia.

Other
UNICEF, in collaboration with the Director of the Health Information
System, is exploring means of improving the collection of data and
health information to make the System more responsive and suitable to
the needs of county health services.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND ADVOCACY
UNDHA-HACO initiatives include the publication and wide distribution on
26 July issue of the Liberian Humanitarian Community Newsletter,
Featuring articles on preventive measures against malaria, humanitarian
community activity updates, population issues faced by Liberians, and
means to eradicate poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa as outlined in the 1997
Human Development Report. The Liberian Humanitarian Community Radio
Report continues to be broadcast daily on national radio ELBC featuring
updates on humanitarian activities and issues. Various updates of
humanitarian activities throughout Liberia were published and broadcast
in Liberian media.

The information Officer from UNDHA-HACU-Freetown, currently based in
Conakry, Guinea visited Monrovia to liaise with Sierra Leone UN and NGO
staff who are temporarily based in Monrovia. The purpose of the visit
was to become familiarised with the situation of Sierra Leoneans in
Liberia and to brief the Inter-Agency Security and Sierra Leone
Monitoring Group on agency operations in Guinea and their plans for
Sierra Leone. Input was also solicited on a revised need assessment from
developed in Conakry to be used by agencies returning to Sierra Leone.

Twenty members of the Voice of the Future club, attended a UNICEF-Voice
of the Future workshop on radio production. The one-day workshop
prepared the group to produce their own radio programme to be aired on
UNICEF's Child Survival programme.

WFP's Regional Information Officer visited Monrovia from 14 to 20 July
accompanied by three journalists. In Tubmanburg, the journalists visited
the Ghalassuah wet feeding centre to report on WFP's support to such
activities in Liberia. Several newspapers also published a WFP press
release about the WFP-supported Seed Protection programmes.

Roads and Bridges
Most agencies are no longer able to conduct work in this sector due to
heavy rains and saturation of the ground. With the Ministry of Public
Works, road and bridge task force members will embark on assessments of
road and bridge requirements, prioritised to support resettlement
assistance to returning refugees and IDPs. The window of opportunity to
complete work is from October 1997 to June 1998, before the onset of the
next rainy season.

WATER AND SANITATION

Wells, Pumps and Latrines
In cooperation with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs, the
Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Lands, Mines and
Energy, a number of international and local NGOs continue to build,
install and chlorinate wells and pumps as well as to build and desludge
latrines in communities and internally displaced camps throughout the
country.

They include: UNICEF, LWS-LWF, ACF, Oxfam, TEAR Fund, LNRC, Help Our
People Exist (HOPE), Lifewater Liberia, Gbonowolon Water and Sanitation
Incorp (GWSI), Water and Sanitation Incorp (WSI), the Water and
Environmental Sanitation Agency (WESA), Man United Save Humanity (MUSH)
and LUSH.

Educational Activities
30 non-NGO partners and government agencies participated in a UNICEF
workshop focussing on water and sanitation assessment and intervention
methods.

CHILDREN AND EDUCATION

Activities Involving War-Affected Youth
Project activities were finalised - ranging from establishing loan
criteria to repayment plans - for national NGO, NAWOCOL's, Expanded
Abused Women and Girl's Micro Project Loan Scheme.

Workshops
A subregional meeting on unaccompanied children has been organised in
collaboration with partners from SCF-UK-Liberia, the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UNHCR and UNICEF staff from Monrovia,
Freetown and Conakry.

Curriculum Activities
The taxibook revision team is currently working on editing and
illustrations to complete the textbook revision project by UNICEF, in
collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE).

The textbooks will reproduce in part, some of the civic education
materials which were published in the popular UNDHA-HACO Kukujumuku
Booklets.

Other
The contract for the construction of the UNICEF-supported Orthopaedic
Workshop at the Ganta Methodist Hospital in Ganta, Nimba County has been
signed by a local firm, which is scheduled complete the workshop in six
months.

SECURITY

Food Stores Stolen
A total quantity of 17 MTs of food commodities was stolen from a WVI
warehouse in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, WVI and WFP sent
representatives to the area to investigate the theft, which is also
under investigation by ECOMOG. Eight suspects have been arrested. Civil
authorities have assured WVI that they will provide alternative
warehousing. All future consignments of food and other commodities will
be stored at Tapota and dispatched to Zwedry on an as-needed basis. WFP
plans to send a field monitor to remain in Zwedru to continuously
monitor the situation.

Bo Waterside is now a Kamajor rear support area. A clinic has been
opened by the Kamajors with personnel recruited by and medical supplies
and drugs donated by Chief Noman, former Defence Minister under
President Kabbah. ECOMOG on site reported that the Kamajors are
routinely bringing their wounded back to Bo Waterside for treatment.

By the end of next week, UNOMIL will have closed all of its 16 field
stations, including dismantling the HF radio network that supported
UN-NGO field movements. The need to retain this network was expressed
quite strongly in various fora. 

This report is available on the internet through RELIEFWEB:
http://www.reliefweb.int


Mr. Tesema Negash
UN Humanitarian Coordinator - Monrovia
Tel.: (231) 226 041-042 - Fax: (874) 175 46 27 (sat.)

Inter-Agency Support Branch (IASB) Geneva
Mr. David Bassiouni - Chief
Mr. Arjun Katoch
Tel.: (41 22) 788.1401 - Fax: (41 22) 788.6389
Registry E-Mail: Rosemary.Addo-Yirenkyi@dha.unicc.org

Complex Emergencies Division (CED) New York
Mr. Peter Due
Tel.: (1 212) 963.1731 - Fax: (1 212) 963.3630
E-Mail: due@un.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: Moulin-Acevedo@dha.unicc.org



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