Congo - ICRC-01: 06-May-98

ICRC
UPDATE NO.1 ON ICRC ACTIVITIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
6 MAY 1998


SITUATION 

THE FORUM NATIONAL POUR LA RECONCILIATION, L'UNITE, LA DEMOCRATIE ET LA
RECONSTRUCTION DU CONGO CONFERRED BY D SASSOU NGUESSO IN EARLY JANUARY
SET A THREE-YEAR PERIOD FOR THE COUNTRY'S TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY. IN
SPITE OF EFFORTS SUCH AS THIS TO REINFORCE STABILITY, THE SECURITY
SITUATION IN BRAZZAVILLE AND THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY REMAINS VOLATILE.
THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO THE PROLIFERATION OF ARMS AND, WHILST THE POLICE
ARE CONTINUING EFFORTS TO REPOSSESS WEAPONS, THEY HAVE NOT YET MANAGED
TO REACH THE SOUTH WHERE MANY MILITIAS HAVE STILL NOT BEEN DISARMED NOR
INTEGRATED INTO THE NATIONAL ARMY. THE ANGOLAN ARMED FORCES REMAIN
PRESENT IN BRAZZAVILLE AND THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY, NOTABLY POINTE
NOIRE, THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMIC HUB.

GENERALLY THOUGH, THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IS SHOWING MANY SIGNS OF
IMPROVEMENT AND ICRC'S EMERGENCY FOOD, NON-FOOD AND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
TO HEALTH ESTABLISHMENTS HAS BEEN PHASED-OUT. FOR THIS REASON,
OPERATIONS WILL INCREASINGLY FOCUS ON WATER AND SANITATION
REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES AND DISSEMINATION OF INTERNATIONAL
HUMANITARIAN LAW. DISCUSSIONS HELD WITH THE HIGHEST AUTHORITIES OVER THE
LAST FEW WEEKS SHOULD LEAD TO AGREEMENTS ON DISSEMINATION TO THE ARMED
FORCES AND VISITS TO PRISONERS. 


ICRC ACTIVITIES

RELIEF

EMERGENCY RELIEF PROGRAMMES AND NON-FOOD ASSISTANCE TO THE
CONFLICT-AFFECTED POPULATION IN BRAZZAVILLE STOPPED AT THE END OF MARCH.
RELIEF ACTIVITIES ARE NOW TARGETING SPECIFIC VULNERABLE GROUPS (TO BE
IDENTIFIED AND ASSISTED THROUGH ASSESSMENTS MADE BY THE CONGOLESE RED
CROSS (CRC)).  


WATER AND SANITATION

WATER-PROCESSING AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS IN BRAZZAVILLE ARE STILL
FRAGILE FOLLOWING THE CONFLICT AND CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE
TO PROVIDE THE POPULATION AND HEALTH STRUCTURES WITH AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY
OF TREATED WATER. SINCE JANUARY, THE ICRC HAS PROVIDED THE NATIONAL
WATER BOARD (SNDE) WITH 750 KG TOOLS AND MACHINERY TO REHABILITATE DJIRI
AND DJOUE TREATMENT PLANTS WHICH SUPPLY 80% OF BRAZZAVILLE WITH SOME 70
M LITRES WATER PER DAY. OVER 200 MT CHEMICALS, 16 MT PLUMBING EQUIPMENT
AND SUBSTANTIAL LOGISTICAL SUPPORT HAVE ENABLED THE PLANTS TO FUNCTION
OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS. TWO NEW BOREHOLES HAVE BEEN DRILLED AND
EQUIPPED WITH HAND-PUMPS FOR THOSE IN SOUTHERN BRAZZAVILLE NOT SERVED BY
THE EXISTING NETWORK.

IN RESPONSE TO THE CHOLERA OUTBREAK IN POINTE NOIRE, THE COUNTRY'S
SECOND LARGEST CITY, THE ICRC IMPROVED SANITARY CONDITIONS IN TIE-TIE
HOSPITAL, ONE OF THE TWO ESTABLISHMENTS WHERE PATIENTS WITH THE DISEASE
ARE TREATED. A 25,000-LITRE RESERVOIR AND TWO DOUBLE LATRINES WERE
CONSTRUCTED.  ADDITIONAL PLUMBING AND REPAIR WORK THERE IS BEING
SUPERVISED.  


HEALTH

WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE HEALTH AUTHORITIES, THE ICRC PROVIDED
ASSISTANCE TO BRAZZAVILLE'S HEALTH CENTRES TO ALLOW THE POPULATION
ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE. CONGOLESE MEDICAL STAFF AT THE CENTRES DE SANTE
INTEGRES (CSI) WENT BACK TO WORK AT THE END OF DECEMBER 1997 AND,
BETWEEN THEN AND THE END OF MARCH THIS YEAR, THE ICRC PROVIDED REGULAR
MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO 14 CENTRES AND AD HOC ASSISTANCE TO A FURTHER FIVE.
IN ALL, 600 KG ESSENTIAL DRUGS, 16 DRESSING KITS, 14 PAEDIATRIC KITS,
SEVEN BASIS KITS, THREE DISPENSARY KITS AND MEDICAL AND THERAPEUTIC
GUIDELINES WERE DISPATCHED, ALLOWING AN ESTIMATED 20,000 CONSULTATIONS
TO TAKE PLACE. 

NOW THAT THE GENERAL HEALTH SITUATION HAS IMPROVED, MANAGEMENT OF 15 OF
THE 19 CSIS HAS BEEN HANDED BACK TO OTHER HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS WHO
WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CENTRES BEFORE THE CONFLICT. THE FOUR REMAINING
CSIS WILL RECEIVE SUPPORT FROM BRAZZAVILLE'S GENERAL PHARMACY.

WHILST ICRC'S EMERGENCY MEASURES CEASED AT THE END OF MARCH, IT IS STILL
ASSISTING THE REHABILITATION OF FOUR HEALTH CENTRES HEAVILY DAMAGED
DURING THE CONFLICT.  ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN PROVIDED IN THE FORM OF
CLEANING MATERIAL AND FURNITURE AND THE PREMISES HAVE BEEN FULLY CLEANED
IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CRC.


A COORDINATED APPROACH

DISCUSSIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE BETWEEN THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED
CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES (THE FEDERATION) AND THE CRC TO ENSURE
A COORDINATED APPROACH. IT HAS BEEN DECIDED THAT THE ICRC WILL REMAIN
THE LEAD AGENCY WITHIN THE MOVEMENT UNTIL THE END OF JULY WHEN THE
SITUATION WILL BE REASSESSED. MATTERS RELATED TO THE INSTITUTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT OF THE CRC WILL BE COORDINATED BY THE FEDERATION.

THE ICRC DELEGATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO HAS BEEN INDEPENDENT
FROM THE FORMER ICRC REGIONAL DELEGATION IN KINSHASA SINCE THE BEGINNING
OF FEBRUARY.



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