Liberia - DHA: 21.Jul-20.Aug.97
Liberia - DHA: 21.Jul-20.Aug.97
UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs
LIBERIA HUMANITARIAN SITUATION REPORT
Period covered: 31 July - 20 August 1997 - No. 83
The information contained in this report was provided by the Office of
the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Liberia
HIGHLIGHTS
With the rainy season in full swing, road and bridge conditions
throughout the Southeast are so poor that vehicular transport along them
is virtually impossible. As a result, humanitarian activities in this
region are essentially non-existent at this time.
In two informal meetings, the new Minister of Health presented his
priorities for the health sector. The primary among these are the
refurbishment of county hospitals by NGOs, priority support for
rehabilitating the JFK Hospital in Monrovia and bringing the National
Drug Service (NDS), currently an NGO, under the direct control of the
Ministry of Health (MOH). Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is under
pressure from the MOH to close down its support for the SwedRelief
hospital and assume responsibility for JFK Hospital. Of concern to the
Humanitarian Community is the lack of apparent priority for primary
health care. While Government of Liberia (GOL) resettlement plans have
yet to be formulated, these MOH priorities may be at odds with the
Liberia Refugee, Repatriation and Resettlement Commission's (LRRRC)
efforts to resettle, provide basic services and stabilize returning
rural populations where the priority is primary health care.
Refugees
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) continues to
make daily trips to Bo-Waterside to monitor the situation of Sierra
Leonean refugees and Liberian returnees fleeing the crisis in
neighbouring Sierra Leone. Merlin continues with its emergency response
strategy by closely monitoring the situation in Upper Lofa where there
has also been a steady movement of Sierra Leonean refugees and Liberian
returnees fleeing Sierra Leone. Donors are meeting with NGOs in Liberia
to discuss the funding of programmes focused on -Resettlement and
Reintegration- for Liberians who are refugees or internally displaced.
FOOD AND NUTRITION
Food Distributions
The World Food Programme (WFP) delivered: 4 MTs of assorted food
commodities to World Vision International (WVI)-Liberia Islamic Union
for Rural Development (LIURD) for onward distribution to 245
beneficiaries at the Massatin, Grand Cape Mount County leper colony, 22
MTs of assorted food commodities to PMU Interlife as wet rations for
1,450 elders in Tubmanburg, Bomi County and 2 MTs of food to PMU
Interlife for distribution to inmates at the Monrovia Central Prison, 22
MTs of assorted food commodities to the International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC) for distribution to 3,265 Sierra Seonean Refugees and
IDPs at Bopolu, Lower Lofa, 18 MTs of assorted food commodities to WVI
for onward distribution to 1,559 asylum seekers in Sinje, Grand Cape
Mount County. Lutheran World Federation-World Service
(LWF-WS)distributed 97 MTs of food to 9,606 beneficiaries in Bong
County, national NGO, Liberians United to Serve Humanity (LUSH),
distributed 125 MTs to 12,080 beneficiaries and 17 MTs to 1,612
beneficiaries in Bong and Margibi Counties, respectively. The PMU
Interlife-Catholic Relief Services (CRS)-WFP programme continues to
provide feeding for elderly persons and for inmates of the Monrovia
Central Prison - PMU Interlife facilitates the staff and transportation
costs of the food at the elderly persons homes and at the prison, while
CRS and WFP donate the food. CRS distributed 860 MTs of food to 10,523
beneficiaries in rural Grand Bassa County.
Food-For-Work (FFW)
WVI pre-positioned 19.8 MTs of commodities in Voinjama for use in FFW
programmes in Kolahun, Foya and Vahun, Lofa County. WVI also
pre-positioned 22.5 MTs of food in Tappita for use in FFW projects in
Zwedru, Grand Gedeh until more secure warehousing is available in
Zwedru. 53 MTs of food was distributed as FFW for 1,806 health workers
at health centres in Monrovia and its environs by CRS. Eleven FFW
project proposals have been submitted to WFP targeting 302 beneficiaries
with 10.48 MTs of food. WFP delivered 1 MTs of food as FFW to 41
caretakers at the elderly centre in Tubmanburg, Bomi County.
Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF)
163 MTs of food were distributed by CRS to 10,193 VGF beneficiaries in
Monrovia, 5 MTs of food were distributed by CRS to 305 VGF beneficiaries
and 1 MTs of food was distributed as FFW for 37 health workers at
various VGF centres in Margibi County, 23 MTs of food were distributed
by CRS to 867 VGF beneficiaries and 11 MTs of food was distributed as
FFW to 378 health workers at various VGF centres in Grand Bassa County,
2 MTs of food were distributed to 160 VGF beneficiaries and 4 MTs of
food was distributed as FFW to 391 health workers at VGF centres in
Sinoe County. WFP delivered 12 MTs of food to LWF-WS for 1,010 VGF
beneficiaries in Bong County and 5 MTs for 425 beneficiaries in Nimba
County. 18 MTs of food were distributed by LWF-WS as FFW to a combined
caseload of 547 beneficiaries in Bong and Nimba Counties.
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 Country: 1,988,
RiverCess County: 63, Grand Bassa County: 507, and, Bong County: 800.
Other
The WFP stock position as of 19 August is: 13,097 MTs of assorted food
commodities.
AGRICULTURE
Assessments
A joint assessment mission comprising the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA),
the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), European Union (EU), USAID,
and CRS have been fielded by the Seeds and Tools Committee to assess the
strengths and weaknesses of the Seeds and Tools distribution programme.
The mission visited Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Bassa, River Cess,
Margibi, Lofa and Nimba Counties and is expected to complete its mandate
by mid-August.
Seeds and Tools
The Seeds and Tools Committee distributed reporting forms to various
NGOs for consistency in reporting. Reports on the 1996-97 Seeds and
Tools programme will be submitted to the Committee in the near future.
The Seeds and Tools Committee still has consignments of tools in its
warehouses in CARI and Monrovia and is awaiting project proposals from
NGOs prior to the release of the tools for such projects.
New Projects
The Government of Sweden has approved a USD 651,000 project, -Emergency
Supply of Essential Inputs to Vulnerable Farmers in Liberia,- to be
executed by FAO, benefitting 36,000 war-affected farmers to help them
meet the requirements of the forthcoming planting season.
Procurements
WVI received a consignment of agricultural tools from WFP for women's
agricultural projects in Kolahun and Vahun, Lofa County.
Continuing Activities
FAO's emergency project assistance to vulnerable farmers through lead
NGOs (CRS, WVI, ACF, Africare and LWF-WS) is ongoing. Africare's
agricultural programmes - including breadfruit and plantain sucker
distributions - continue in Margibi and Grand Bassa County. WVI
continues programmes of seed multiplication, crop transplantation, swamp
rice production and vegetable harvesting, in Montserrado, Bong, Grand
Gedeh, Grand Cape Mount, Lofa and Nimba Counties. CRS continue its
programmes of swamp rice development, seed bank construction projects,
resource distribution monitoring, farm registration for tree crop
rehabilitation and the registration of over 56,000 farmers in Lofa
County in anticipation of emergency food distributions.
Rehabilitation
Tear Fund completed rehabilitation work on two schools in Gbonyea and
Yarpua, Upper Lofa County and work was started on two schools in Gorlu
and Gongula, Salayea District, Upper Lofa County. Tear Fund also
conducted rehabilitation project assessments on 18 additional schools in
Salayea, Zorzor, Voinjama and Kolahun Districts.
HEALTH
Assessments
According to WVI caseloads, malaria, acute respiratory infection and
diarrhoea remain the three most prevalent disease conditions at WVI's
health clinics. UNICEF and the Bong County health team visited ten
revitalized clinics in Bong County to monitor their operations. Over the
last six months, the clinics have been revitalized, with support from
UNICEF, to provide both curative and immunization services.
New Activities
The World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a 3-day review of
programmes implemented during the period January - June 1997, centering
on the level of programme implementation, strengths, weaknesses and
lessons learned. On 7 August, WHO turned over a newly refurbished
building to the MOH for use by its Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology
Unit. The building was refurbished through an UNDP grant of which WHO is
the executing agency. WHO also provided office equipment and supplies
including computers for the Unit. With continued International
Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and ICRC collaboration, the Liberian
National Red Cross Society (LNRCS) established two health clinics in
Robertsport, Grand Cape Mount and Gblezor District, Rivercess County.
Health Programmes
The 12, WVI-operated health facilities in Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Lower
Nimba and Grand Gedeh Counties reported a total consultation of 1,110
cases, including 50 prenatal clients. Merlin continues its support of 13
clinics in Lofa and Nimba Counties, with plans to extend support in
September to 2 additional clinics in Lofa and 3 more in Nimba County.
The Essential Drug List used by the NDS has been reviewed and updated by
UNICEF, EU, MOH, Christian Health Association of Liberia (CHAL), MERCI,
Merlin and UN-HACO.
Vaccination Activities
Ongoing Expanded Programmes of Immunization (EPI) activities and
vaccination community awareness campaigns were conducted by WVI at
Government Farm, Bomi County and the Madina Clinic, Grand Cape Mount
County. In preparation of the commencement of EPI activities in Lower
Nimba County, WVI health workers have also begun a vaccination community
awareness campaign in the region. A Yellow Fever campaign is scheduled
to begin in Lofa County on 25 August: UNICEF will provide all the cold
chain equipment, along with vaccines, needles and syringes. The NDS,
through UNICEF, received 7,000 vials of measles vaccines which will be
used over the next three months.
Health Education
WHO funded a workshop to train vaccinators and community mobilizers for a
mass yellow fever immunization campaign scheduled to commence in the last
week of August in Lofa County. A two month capacity-building workshop
sponsored by WHO for senior staff at the MOH will end on 21 August. The
workshop is addressing areas such as programme planning, financial
management, information gathering and report writing. Additionally, the
workshop discussed the organisational approach of WHO to the MOH. A
three-day disease surveillance workshop for Nimba County health workers
took place in Ganta, Nimba County from 18 - 20 August. The workshop,
-Training in Epidemiological Surveillance and Epidemic Management for
Peripheral Health Workers-, was a collaborative venture of WHO, MOH, as
well as three NGOs operating in Nimba County - MERLIN, WVI and the
International Rescue Committee. The workshop brought together 74 health
workers from 27 health facilities in Nimba County. Basic components of the
three-day workshop included formative supervision, case definition and the
management of epidemic-prone disease and epidemiological-surveillance
methods.
On the job training sessions for Health Workers were conducted by WVI
supervisors in Lower Nimba and Grand Gedeh Counties to augment the
quality of health service delivery. Following the confirmation of a case
of yellow fever in Upper Lofa County, Merlin organised and conducted
workshops in disease surveillance methods, case definition as well as
the management of cold chains. Merlin also worked with UNICEF on the
re-establishment of the cold chain and supported a yellow fever and
measles vaccination campaign in the area. In conjunction with other
international NGOs, Merlin also organised and ran a workshop on rational
drug use and cold chain management for health ministry staff in Nimba
County.
Revitalization of Health Clinics
In continued efforts to revitalize health clinics in Lofa County, UNICEF
in collaboration with GTZ, provided thirty desks, four bicycles and nine
basic health kits to various health clinics in the region. With support
from UNICEF, four health clinics have been reactivated in Margibi County
which now provide curative and immunization services. UNICEF supports
these facilities through the Margibi County Health Team.
Public Affairs and Advocacy
UN-HACO initiatives include the publication and wide distribution of the
27th issue of The Liberian Humanitarian Community Newsletter, featuring:
a profile on WHO, steps to take to ensure safe motherhood and
childbearing, an update on humanitarian activities, a profile on the
national NGO, MERCI, and tips on dealing with stress.
The Liberian Humanitarian Community Radio Report continues to be
broadcast daily on national radio ELBC featuring updates on humanitarian
activities and discussions of various humanitarian issues. UN-HACO
issued press releases updating humanitarian activities of the
Humanitarian Community throughout Liberia which were published and
broadcast in various Liberian radio and print media.
Save the Children Fund-UK (SCF-UK) launched a new radio programme
designed to help find the families of children who have been lost from
their families over the last seven years of fighting. The programme
lists the names of lost children who SCF-UK and its partner agencies,
BUCCOBAC and Don Bosco Homes, have found in Liberia, Guinea, and Cote
d'Ivoire.
Listeners are encouraged to contact SCF-UK or Don Bosco if they know the
whereabouts of any of the missing children's families.
Roads and Bridges
As the rainy season reaches its peak, the saturation of roads has
rendered most extremely difficultly to pass. Road and bridge
repair-rehabilitation planning for the October 97-June 1998 work season
continues with sector organisations conducting assessments of
prioritised work projects. To facilitate the costing of this work, the
Road and Bridge Task Force has tasked a technical group composed of the
EU, UNOPS, SCF-UK and LWF-WS Engineers to develop standard design
specifications, utilising Ministry of Public Works standards, for
culverts, box culverts, bridges and reinforced temporary log bridges.
Organisations working in the sector note that the key material
constraint on speeding up repair work was the lack of galvanised steel
culverts. No supply exists in Liberia - the manufacturer's plant was
looted and destroyed. Available concrete culverts do not meet steel
reinforcement standards or length requirements. Given the demand that
will exist during the coming construction season, serious thought must
be given to identifying and procuring these culverts regionally.
CRS' Projects Department was able to procure all requisite logistics and
materials needed to begin the Salayea District Access Road and Bridge
project. This project will work with 500 community volunteers and will
benefit 33,191 inhabitants of Salayea District. The project will be
implemented by the Kwetornor Development and Relief Organisation over 3
months.
Concern has commenced work on the preparation of the road between
Coleman Hill and Beajah to improve access during the bridge
reconstruction.
Construction began on the Beajah Bridge on 13 August. There are plans to
start construction of one of two new bridges at Weajor before the end of
August.
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, LWF-LWS, ACF, Oxfam, Tear Fund, LNRCS,
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), Men United to Save Humanity
(MUSH), and, LUSH.
Garbage Collection
Under the SCF-UK-UNICEF Emergency Garbage Collection and Disposal
project in Monrovia, 784 cubic yards of waste were cleared from the
city.
Educational Activities
Tear Fund conducted a 3-day public health education workshop for the
training of community health educators, hand pump technicians and
latrine caretakers in Sucromu, Lofa County. A Tear Fund health educator
has been stationed there to work along with trained community health
educators to do follow-up workshops. UNICEF, in partnership with the
Community Human Development Agency (COHDA), intensified hygiene and
health education at various displaced shelters, including sessions on
diarrhoea prevention and management.
Non-Food Relief
During the reporting period, the LNRCS carried out a number of non-food
relief interventions in and rural Liberia including the distribution to
elementary schools, orphanages and fire victims of tarpaulins, blankets,
clothes and soaps. PMU Interlife also conducted a number of
distributions of non-food relief including the delivery of charcoal,
firewood, soap, used clothing, woods stoves, toys, etc. Beneficiaries
included inmates, orphans, schoolchildren, the elderly and blind
persons. PMU Interlife War Trauma Counselors are in Lofa County to
conduct workshops and counseling activities in the region. Counselors
also continue to conduct their work at the Monrovia Central Prison, with
high school students in Monrovia and with elderly persons in Margibi
County.
Children and Education
UNICEF and the National Women Commission of Liberia (NAWOCOL) discussed
the Micro Loan Scheme. As part of the expanded Abused Women and Girls
(AWAG) Project, small start-up business loans will be provided to women
who are undertaking skills training with preference given to those with
backgrounds in operating small-scale businesses.
Physical Rehabilitation
Following the review of the physical rehabilitation project, USAID has
agreed to continue support for the construction of an orthopaedic
workshop at Ganta Hospital, Nimba County. The orthopaedic workshop will
provide prosthetics for both amputees and post-polio cases. Under the
agreement, CHAL will provide community rehabilitation information
through a network of hospitals and clinics nation-wide to conduct
information gathering and dissemination activities, as well as case
identification and referral.
Unaccompanied Children
UNICEF, SCF-UK, ICRC and UNHCR are developing an emergency tracing
package and have finalized common tracing forms for unaccompanied
children for Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Activities Involving War-Affected Youth
UNICEF and USAID have agreed to expand the Support to the War Affected
Youth Project (SWAY). Emphasis will be on expanding geographical areas,
providing more vocational training choices and setting up a specific
programme that will target ex-female soldiers. In addition, the on-going
project with the Calvary Chapel to rehabilitate former child soldiers
will be expanded to target a larger number of ex-combatants and to
expand the areas of project implementation. UNICEF visited Cape Mount
and Bomi Counties to finalize the location of additional sites for the
SWAY Project. The SWAY site in Bomi County has already been selected,
while a site in Grand Cape Mount County is still pending due to the
current security situation and the high influx of refugees in the area.
Curriculum Activities
UNICEF's work on the chapter on Conflict Resolution for the primary
school textbook project has been finalized. The chapter discusses
concepts of conflict and peace, different conflict resolution styles and
provides an introduction to palava management and mediation skills.
Sierra Leonean Operations
NGOs with operations in Sierra Leone have resumed weekly coordination
and information sharing meetings in Monrovia. One of the main reasons
these organisations favour Monrovia over Conakry as an operating base is
their proximity to the ECOMOG headquarters which allows for direct
liaison for the purpose of securing access clearance for humanitarian
cargo and personnel.
Security
There have been three separate armed attacks on the homes and compounds
of humanitarian organisations operating in Monrovia this past week.
Humanitarian organisations are encouraged to take necessary precautions
during this time of authority transfer in Liberia.There was another
break-in at the WVI warehouse in Zwedru on 4 August. Agriculture tools
and 3 bags of cement were taken. The matter is currently being
investigated by ECOMOG.
This report is available on the internet through RELIEFWEB:
http://www.reliefweb.int
Office of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator Monrovia, Liberia
Mr. Peter Tingwa Officer in Charge
Tel.: (231) 226 041-042 - Fax: (874) 175 46 27 (sat.)
Inter-Agency Support Branch (IASB) Geneva
Mr. David Bassiouni - Chief
Ms. Shahwar Pataudi
Tel.: (41 22) 788.1403 - Fax: (41 22) 788.6386
Registry E-Mail: Rosemary.Addo-Yirenkyi@dha.unicc.org
Complex Emergencies Division (CED) New York
Ms. Agnes Asekenye-Oonyu
Tel.: (1 212) 963.1773 - Fax: (1 212) 963.1388
E-Mail: asekenye-oonyu@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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