Sierra Leone - OFDA-01: 28-Jan-98
Sierra Leone - OFDA-01: 28-Jan-98
U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID)
BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
SIERRA LEONE - Complex Emergency
Fiscal Year (FY) 1998 - Situation Report #1 January 28, 1998
Note: The last situation report was dated April 18, 1997.
Background
In March 1991, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) launched an offensive
to overthrow the Government of Sierra Leone (GOSL), led by Major General
Joseph Momoh. Captain Valentine Strasser, a soldier in Momoh's army,
ousted Momoh in a coup in April 1992. After the successful coup, the RUF
continued its insurrection against the National Provisional Ruling Council
(NPRC) formed by Captain Strasser. In January 1996, Strasser was deposed
by his deputy, Brigadier-General Julius Maadu Bio. Peace talks between
the NPRC and the RUF were held in February 1996. The NPRC allowed
elections to be held in March 1996 and Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah was
elected president of Sierra Leone. President Kabbah continued peace
negotiations with the RUF, and signed a peace accord in Abidjan with
Corporal Foday Sankoh, leader of the RUF, on November 30, 1996. Despite
the peace accord, Kabbah's government and the RUF continued to disagree on
key issues such as the demobilization of combatants and support for local
civil defense militiamen, who sided with Kabbah and opposed the RUF.
On May 25, 1997, junior army officers within the so-called Armed Forces
Revolutionary Council (AFRC) violently seized power, forcing the Kabbah
government to flee to Guinea and plunging Sierra Leone back into a highly
volatile state. AFRC soldiers freed and armed many prisoners, including
Major Johnny Paul Koroma, who were imprisoned for an attempted coup in
September 1996. Major Koroma assumed the leadership of the AFRC. More
than 5,000 foreign nationals were evacuated following the AFRC's
assumption of power, including the entire diplomatic corps,
representatives of United Nations (U.N.) agencies, and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) involved in ongoing relief efforts. Following an
invitation to Foday Sankoh to join the AFRC, many RUF soldiers joined with
the AFRC.
The international community, including the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS), the Organization of African Unity (OAU), and the
U.N. immediately demanded that the AFRC restore the elected Kabbah
government. ECOWAS Military Observer Group (ECOMOG) troops from Liberia
reinforced the Nigerian and Guinean troops who had helped the government
of Sierra Leone, as part of bilateral agreements, to fight the RUF over
the last years. On June 2, 1997, fighting broke out in Freetown between
ECOMOG and the AFRC, causing heavy damage to Sierra Leonean government
buildings, hotels, and shops in the capital city.
On June 26, ECOWAS foreign ministers met in Conakry, Guinea, and agreed to
work through a progressive set of measures, namely dialogue, imposition of
sanctions, enforcement of embargoes, and the use of force to achieve the
reinstatement of the legitimate government. The ECOWAS foreign ministers
and the AFRC signed a peace plan in Conakry on October 23, 1997, calling
for the restoration to power of the elected Kabbah government by April 22,
1998. The peace plan also called for an immediate cease-fire, disarmament
and demobilization of combatants beginning on December 1, 1997, amnesty
for the May 1997 participants, and a broad-based government under restored
President Kabbah. In support of the Conakry peace plan, the U.N. Security
Council (UNSC) established an embargo on arms and petroleum products into
Sierra Leone and imposed travel restrictions on the military junta and
their families. The UNSC also gave ECOWAS authority to inspect and verify
in-country cargoes and destinations.
Numbers Affected
>From 1991-1996, intermittent fighting internally displaced an estimated
1.2 million of Sierra Leone's pre-war population of nearly 4.5 million.
In addition, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),
341,700 have fled the country as refugees: 210,000 to Guinea; 123,000 to
Liberia; 5,700 to Gambia; 2,000 to Cote d'Ivoire; and 1, 000 elsewhere in
the region. Between the general election in 1996 and the signing of the
Conakry peace plan in 1997, over 725,000 internally displaced persons
(IDPs) and refugees returned to their homes. Following renewed fighting
in April 1997 and the coup on May 25, some 85, 000 people fled to Guinea
and Liberia. Sierra Leone hosts roughly 10,000 Liberian refugees. More
than 20,000 Sierra Leoneans were killed during the five-year conflict.
TOTAL U.S. GOVERNMENT (USG) HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
FY 1997 - $26,784,019
Current Situation
The AFRC and RUF continue to clash with ECOMOG troops and civil defense
units (consisting of the Kamajor, Kapras, and Tamborrah militias).
Families remain vulnerable to loss of life and displacement. The
reestablishment of economic, social, and production networks continues to
be disturbed by the insecurity. Living conditions for a large number of
civilians have deteriorated as significant disruptions of basic food,
medicines, and household supplies have resulted from the international
embargoes and sporadic military disturbances.
Since the signing of the Conakry peace plan in October 1997, disarmament
of combatants and cross-border humanitarian assistance deliveries from
Guinea have been stalled. Although the ruling AFRC military junta started
the process of identifying and registering some of the estimated 5,000
Sierra Leonean child soldiers as a first step towards wider disarmament,
demands that the AFRC army be disarmed, the ECOMOG combat contingent not
be dominated by Nigeria, and the return of Foday Sankoh from Nigeria led
to a breakdown in disarmament implementation and the postponement of its
December 1 start date.
According to the World Food Program (WFP), at least 200,000 people
throughout Sierra Leone are in need of food assistance as a result of the
May 25, 1997, AFRC takeover and subsequent security disruptions. Many
vulnerable people are in hospitals, clinics, orphanages or are displaced
in urban centers. The vulnerable have been receiving food through the
efforts of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), World Vision Relief and
Development (WVRD), CARE, and WFP. However, relief food stocks in-country
are critically low. WFP estimates that 2,400 MT of food is needed monthly
to feed the vulnerable population. In order to boost food assistance
immediately, WFP is sharing in-country food stocks with the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Emergency bulk food assistance operations from Guinea, expected to begin
on November 14 according to the Conakry peace plan, have still not
commenced. Only medical supplies are being permitted to cross from
Guinea. A U.N. Office of the Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs
publication reports that cross-border assistance is being delayed because
of difficulties over inspecting cargoes at the Guinea border. Guinean
military officials have now been delegated authority to examine the cargo.
An agreement was signed in October 1997 between WFP and ICRC/Guinea to
provide the ICRC with between 3,000-5,000 MT of relief food commodities
which will be moved upon the start of cross-border operations. Since the
May 25 change in government, the price of basic food commodities such as
rice and palm oil has doubled or tripled in some regions, banks and many
businesses remain closed, and thousands of workers are still laid off.
Although the last harvest resulted in a good yield, distribution of the
crops in the markets of Sierra Leone has been adversely affected by
continued insecurity and the limited supply of gasoline. Many Sierra
Leoneans who are reliant on markets for their foodstuffs have little money
or resources to procure even basic necessities.
Political/Military Situation
ECOMOG and AFRC representatives serving on technical committees
established under the Conakry peace plan initially agreed on such issues
as demining, suspension of unnecessary checkpoints, reopening of the ferry
service between Freetown and the Lungi international airport, and
protection for U.N. and relief aid agency premises. However, the
political leadership of the junta has interfered with the implementation
of these issues. Discussions continue on the release from Nigeria of
Foday Sankoh, the leader of the RUF, whoremains detained on illegal
weapons charges.
ECOMOG has been enforcing an unofficial ECOWAS embargo since June 26 when
the ECOWAS foreign ministers met in Conakry, Guinea. Major General Victor
Malu, the ECOMOG commander, immediately warned all shipping and aircraft
services that attempts to reach Sierra Leone would be undertaken at their
own peril.
On October 8, 1997, the UNSC passed Resolution 1132 which prohibits the
importation of weapons, military equipment, and petroleum products while
banning travel by the military junta and their families. The spirit of
the resolution reiterates the international community's desire for the
military junta to take immediate steps to relinquish power by making way
for the restoration of the democratically-elected government and the
return to constitutional order. According to a provision within the
resolution, ECOWAS, the U.N., and international humanitarian agencies
should establish appropriate arrangements for the provision and delivery
of humanitarian assistance in response to identified local needs. The
U.N. resolution will remain in force until the democratically-elected
Kabbah government is restored. Periodic scheduled reports from the U.N.'s
Secretary-General will review the steps taken by the military junta to
comply with the return of the elected government. The first scheduled
report is due at the end of January.
Although a peace plan was signed in Conakry by ECOWAS and the AFRC
leadership, none of its provisions have been implemented as diplomatic
efforts have stalemated. On December 20, civil defense units began an
offensive by placing roadblocks along major roads while carrying out a
series of low-level attacks and ambushes on AFRC forces. On January
17-18, 1998, as many as 1,000 Kamajor militiamen captured the eastern
diamond-mining town of Tongo after clashing with AFRC troops. The
diamonds from Tongo have been a major source of income for the AFRC junta.
On January 14, 1998, AFRC leader Johnny Paul Koroma met in Freetown with
an eight-member U.N. fact-finding team led by U.N. special envoy, Francis
Okelo. The U.N. team's trip examined the prospects for sending U.N.
peacekeepers to Sierra Leone and increasing the levels of humanitarian
assistance. The U.N. special envoy is recommending that the Committee of
Five of the ECOWAS meet as soon as possible with the AFRC leadership to
discuss the continuing crisis and the stalled implementation.
As a further sign of continued instability in Sierra Leone, ECOMOG carried
out two air attacks against AFRC targets. On December 11, a ECOMOG jet
fighter bombed the town of Kenema (240 km east of Freetown) after being
fired upon from the ground. The three cluster bombs dropped reportedly
killed 10 people and wounded 18 others. During the weekend of December
13, another ECOMOG jet fighter bombed a dirt airstrip in Magburka that was
being upgraded by the AFRC into an airfield capable, according to ECOMOG
commander Malu, of receiving arms shipments. Another air incident took
place on January 7 when an ECOMOG jet overflew Freetown looking for ships
trying to anchor. ECOMOG has a mandate to enforce the U.N. and ECOWAS
imposed sanctions.
Relief Efforts
Immediately following the May 1997 seizure of power by the military junta,
nearly all expatriate relief staff were evacuated to Guinea and The Gambia
after their offices were looted and relief vehicles stolen. Humanitarian
assistance initiatives continue on but on a much smaller scale. Most NGOs
and the U.S. Embassy staff from Freetown have established temporary
headquarters in Conakry, Guinea to monitor developments in Sierra Leone
and maintain contact with local staff. Health, agriculture, and food aid
interagency coordination meetings are being held regularly in Conakry.
BHR/OFDA-funded relief programs are continuing in Sierra Leone but mainly
in up-country areas.
The continued insecurity in Sierra Leone as well as ECOWAS' embargo is
affecting the international community's ability to respond to the crisis.
To import humanitarian goods, relief agencies must request exemptions from
the embargo by submitting to the ECOMOG commander detailed descriptions
and quantities of goods to be transported, the mode of transport, dates of
delivery and routing, including the point of entry and the final
destination in Sierra Leone. ECOMOG forces will provide security
clearances at the border, port or airfield, and may also provide
clearances at the final destination for the shipments.
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Refugees
Before the change in government in May 1997, tens of thousands of IDPs and
refugees had returned to their homes. UNHCR had implemented a formal
repatriation program for Sierra Leonean refugees in Guinea and Liberia.
Repatriation was suspended in late April 1997, following renewed fighting.
Since May 1997, fighting and insecurity have once again displaced
thousands of Sierra Leoneans. Up to 60,000 new refugees have registered
with UNHCR in Guinea as well as an additional 25,000 refugees in Liberia.
A significant number of Sierra Leoneans have also fled to neighboring
countries but have failed to register.
In mid-January, intense fighting between Kamajor militiamen and AFRC
forces for the Tongo diamond-mining area forced an estimated 8,000-10,000
residents to walk from the Tongo area to Kenema, about 12 miles away, to
find shelter in camps organized by the ICRC, Merlin, WFP, Africare, and
local relief agencies. These relief groups are providing blankets,
plastic sheeting, and buckets to the camps. Foodstocks in the camps are
ample for about one month. Kamajor attacks were also reported in Bo,
Sierra Leone's second largest city, on January 4, and near Freetown on
January 13. Hundreds of thousands of civilians will need to resettle and
rebuild their lives upon the restoration of the constitutional government.
Food
WFP warned on November 7, 1997, that relief food stocks for vulnerable
populations have almost run out in Sierra Leone. From the original 10,000
MT of relief food WFP and NGOs had in Sierra Leone when the fighting first
erupted in May 1997 and international aid workers were evacuated, less
than 200 MT remain in-country. According to the BHR/Food for Peace
(BHR/FFP) officer for Sierra Leone, this stockpile is expected to be
virtually exhausted by the end of January.
By diverting food for Sierra Leone to Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire, WFP and
NGOs has managed to buildup a regional stock of 10,000 MT of emergency
relief supplies in Coankry, Guinea, which could be dispatched immediately
to Sierra Leone. WFP has requested all necessary clearances to be issued
in order to begin shuttling food cross-border from Guinea into Sierra
Leone. Despite numerous false starts these operations remain on hold.
Agriculture
The fall harvest this year was excellent for both rice and groundnuts.
However, one of the most troubling issues facing Sierra Leone in the
aftermath of its protracted internal conflict and recent seizure of power
continues to be the depressed levels of rice paddy production. According
to a recent U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization survey, rice production
plummeted from 670,000 MT in 1976 to under 400,000 MT in 1996, a 42%
reduction. Because rice is grown by 95% of all rural families, increasing
rice production must be a priority to ensure the rural populations' food
security.
Some additional constraints to the harvest this planting season included:
1) the late planting in some regions; 2) insecurity forcing the neglect of
farms; 3) seeds looted in attacks on villages; 4) the threat of armed men
looting the harvest; 5) rodents; 6) weeds; and 7) the fear that some
farmers may have eaten the seed rather than planting it. ECOWAS and U.N.
embargoes have caused some food prices to double or even triple (depending
on the District), and petroleum shortages continue to stifle economic
activity.
Health
Because of the difficulty in assessing the health situation in Sierra
Leone, health agencies have begun to set up a monitoring system to collect
data on key indicators such as mortality, morbidity, and malnutrition.
Reports will be collected from health centers weekly for compilation and
analysis to allow the humanitarian community to monitor the health and
nutrition situations in Sierra Leone and plan interventions
accordinglhealth agencies have begun to set up a monitoring system to
collect data on key indicators such as mortality, morbidity, and
malnutrition. Reports will be collected from health centers weekly for
compilation and analysis to allow the humanitarian community to monitor
the health and nutrition situations in Sierra Leone and plan interventions
accordingly.
Health workers are concerned about increasing reports of malnutrition,
especially among young children. Action Contre la Faim/France (ACF/F) has
reported a rise in the number of children at its therapeutic feeding
center in Kissy, near Freetown, and a Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF)
nutritional survey in Freetown confirmed an increase in malnutrition. An
ACF/F survey conducted in August 1997 in Bombali and Tonkolili districts
revealed that the nutritional status of children under the age of five was
slightly worse than during the same period the previous year. However,
health workers fear that the nutritional status could deteriorate rapidly
if supplementary feeding programs are not maintained.
A French newswire reported that on December 16 people were fleeing from
two islands in the Sierra Leone estuary, 40 km from Freetown, because of
deteriorating food and medical supplies. A town chief from the islands of
Tasso and Pepel, was quoted as saying that at least 10 people a week were
dying of hunger. Relief agencies have not had access to these islands
since the May 1997 and are unable to confirm this report.
Measles is another serious concern to the health NGOs. Small outbreaks of
measles have been reported in several districts. There are cold chain
problems due to gasoline and electricity shortages and the stock of
vaccines in-country is low. However, health NGOs such as MSF and Merlin
are managing to bring some drugs into the country. Christian Extension
Services reported a large outbreak of measles in Nieni chiefdom, Koinadugu
district. MSF reported an outbreak in Tonkolili and Kono districts. In
both cases, UNICEF supplied vaccines to respond to the situation.
Water/Sanitation
Public health agencies are working to prevent an outbreak of cholera. In
mid-July, UNICEF and government health officials conducted an assessment
of the islands of Yeliboya, Rokai and Kotimor in the southern part of
Kambia district, where the cholera outbreaks in 1994 and 1995 were first
identified. The assessment revealed that water facilities were poor and
UNICEF subsequently chlorinated water storage facilities and wells in the
area. ICRC is also working to increase the quality and availability of
drinking water in Freetown by chlorinating wells, repairing damaged ones
and constructing new water catchment structures. The ICRC has also been
helping to build 500 additional latrines in the camps for displaced
persons in the east. In Freetown, it has installed water tanks in two
hospitals and has conducted a survey on the capital's water supply system.
USG Humanitarian Assistance
BHR/OFDA continues to support limited, emergency humanitarian assistance
through its implementing partners in Sierra Leone as long as the grantee
can continue to carry out relief activities effectively through local
and/or expatriate staff and can provide regular reports on progress made.
Following the seizure of power in May 1997 by the AFRC, all USG personnel
were evacuated from Sierra Leone to Guinea, including the BHR/FFP officer,
stationed in Sierra Leone since May 1996.
In January, 1997, BHR's Office of Transition Initiatives (BHR/OTI), began
a two-year program in support of Sierra Leone's transition to peace and
democratic governance. BHR/OTI programs for funded resettlement and
reintegration activities at the village level; retraining and
reintegration projects for demobilized rebels and soldiers; and
communications equipment and radio campaigns associated with democracy and
the peace process had just begun when the May 1997 change in government
ended the programs. BHR/OTI's implementing partners were CARE, Africare,
and WVRD.
In addition to programs assisting Sierra Leonean and Liberian refugees in
Guinea, the State Department's Bureau for Population, Refugees, and
Migration (State/PRM) has contributed $34,427,394 to UNHCR's General
Program for Africa, $32,450,000 to ICRC's Emergency Appeal for Africa, and
$9.4 million to IFRC's Africa region-wide appeal. A portion of
State/PRM's contributions were used to assist returning Sierra Leoneans
and those who remain in countries of asylum.
USG Humanitarian Assistance in FY 1997
BHR/OFDA
Grant to Africare for food, non-food, medical and agricultural assistance
in Freetown, Bo, Kenema, and resettlement areas in the south and east:
$767,922
Grant to ACF/F for nutrition, health, water/sanitation assistance in
Freetown, Bo, and Pujehun: $1,166,015
Grant to CRS for health in Bo, Kenema, and areas of resettlement, seeds
and tools distribution and food distribution: $1,698,521
Grant to MSF/H for emergency healthcare in Freetown and cholera prevention
in Freetown and Kambia: $150,000
Grant to WVRD for seeds and tools distribution in Bo, Kono, Pujehun, and
Bonthe: $371,311
Grant to WVRD to provide agricultural support to 4,500 farming families:
$308,507
Grant to ICRC for seeds and tools distribution in Pujehun and Kailahun
districts: $400,000
Grant to UNICEF for water/sanitation and health activities: $1,000,000
BHR/OFDA Assistance: $5,862,276
BHR/FFP
Contribution of 6,000 MT of emergency food commodities to CARE: $3,434,600
Contribution of 7,370 MT of emergency food commodities to CRS: $3,926,300
Contribution of 10,000 MT of emergency food commodities to WVRD: $6,154,700
Contribution of 6,000 MT of emergency food commodities to WFP: $3,730,000
BHR/FFP Assistance: $17,245,600
BHR/OTI
Grant to Africare for demobilization and reintegration
activities: $1,137,441
Grant to CARE for demobilization and reintegration activities: $182,745
Grant to WVRD for demobilization and reintegration
activities: $1,199,998
Grant to the International Crisis Group for the Good
Government Project: $50,000
Grant to Florida Intl. University for workshops with government officials
on legislative/executive branch relationships: $140,000
Grant to Africare for the Ministry of Gender Affairs and Children:
$13,137 BHR/OTI Field Director: $107,250
Travel and program support costs: $233,446
BHR/OTI Assistance: $3,064,017
STATE/PRM
Grant to IRC/Guinea to assist Sierra Leonean and Liberian
refugees: $319,714
Grant to the American Refugee Committee to assist Sierra Leonean and
Liberian refugees: $292,412
STATE/PRM Assistance: $612,126
TOTAL USG Assistance FY 1997: $26,784,019
Historical Summary of USG Humanitarian Assistance
FY 1991: $597,824
FY 1992: $23,711,719
FY 1993: $22,176,613
FY 1994: $30,534,678
FY 1995: $25,651,867
FY 1996: $30,648,001
FY 1997: $26,784,019
TOTAL USG HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FY 1991 - 1997: $160,104,721
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