Sierra Leone - UNHC: 16-30.Apr.98
Sierra Leone - UNHC: 16-30.Apr.98
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Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 15:24:22 +0200
From:Hazan.Gahigi@DHA.UNICC.ORG
To: OCHA.Standard.List.Africa@DHA.UNICC.ORG, ComEmerg..-.Main@DHA.UNICC.ORG,
ComEmerg..5f.-.Sierra.Leone@DHA.UNICC.ORG
Subject: Sierra Leone Humanitarian Situation Report 16-30 April'98
SIERRA LEONE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION REPORT
Period covered: 16-30 April 1998
This report has been prepared by the office of the United Nations
Humanitarian Coordinator for Sierra Leone in Conakry, Guinea
SECURITY
1. ECOMOG has continued to prosecute the war against junta and RUF forces
in Kono and Kailahun districts with mixed results. Although ECOMOG forces
are now in control of the towns of Daru, Pendembu and Koindu, junta forces
still occupy large areas in the four chiefdoms in the Eastern part of
Kailahun district. Casualties on both sides have been heavy. Some RUF have
moved from Kono district towards the North-East and have perpetrated
several attacks near the towns of Kamakwie, Batkanu and Makeni. Looting and
amputations are widespread.
2. ECOMOG spokesmen have alleged that RUF fighters are being trained at a
camp in Lofa county in Northern Liberia. The Liberian Government has
rejected these allegations. ECOMOG Force Commander in Sierra Leone, Col.
Khobe, also stated in a radio interview that there was evidence that former
NPFL and ULIMO-K fighters were crossing from Liberia into Sierra Leone to
assist the activities of the RUF.
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
3. President Kabbah has announced that Col. Khobe, ECOMOG's Force Commander
in Sierra Leone, will act as his chief security adviser. Col. Khobe will be
responsible for Sierra Leone's national security system and for creating a
professional army. He will report directly to the President who is
Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. All the nominations for cabinet
posts have been approved by Parliament and sworn into office.
4. The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice have requested the Managing
Directors of four banks to freeze 93 accounts operated by deportees and
businessmen who owe the State income tax and other sources of revenue. This
request is intended to curb business malpactices.
HUMANITARIAN DEVELOPMENTS
5. The intensification of the fighting between ECOMOG and junta / RUF
forces in the East of Sierra Leone is creating a severe humanitarian
situation. The most recent reports indicate a new influx of 54,000 Sierra
Leoneans into Vahun, Liberia and 90,000 into Guinea since the start of the
recent ECOMOG offensive against the AFRC/RUF in Kono and Kailahun
districts. Many of the Sierra Leonean refugees are reportedly suffering
from a combination of malaria, respiratory disease, diarrhoea and
malnutrition. UNHCR is organising transport for the refugees from Vahun,
which is only 8 miles from the Sierra Leone border, to Kolahun, thus
enabling the refugees to benefit from increased access to relief services
and improved security. Preparations are already underway for the arrival of
the refugees in Kolahun: MSF is providing water and sanitation facilities
and feeding centres and Merlin will continue to support the hospital.
6. Some of the civilian population in Kono and Kailahun districts have
sought refuge within Sierra Leone. An influx of 14,000 has been reported in
Masingbi (between Kono and Makeni) and Merlin and Christian Extension
Services have reported a massive increase in war-wounded admittances at the
health clinics which they support in Kenema and Koinadugu districts.
Reports of mutilations are widespread. For example, 101 amputees from Kono
district have been admitted to the MSF supported Connaught hospital in
Freetown since 14 April 1998.
The response to the humanitarian needs of those still in Kono district has
been limited as the only agency operational in this area, World Vision, has
evacuated its staff for security reasons. However, every effort is being
made to provide for the needs of those who have managed to escape from the
most severely affected areas in the East.
DEMOBILISATION
In the Government of Sierra Leone's strategy paper for the disarmament,
demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants the current strength of
armed groups is estimated to be, Army: 10,000, Civil Defence Forces:
55,000, RUF: 7,000 giving a total of 72,000 of whom 3,000 are believed to
be child soldiers. The report states that ECOMOG currently has 6,909
surrendered/captured soldiers under its control, 3,459 of whom are being
held at the Benguema Training Centre in Freetown Plans are underway to
contract NGOs to prepare and manage demobilisation centres in four
locations for the army and the RUF. Demobilisation of the Civil Defence
Force is envisaged to take place at the chiefdowm level. Although UNDP and
the British Government have provided a total of USD 1.6 million for the
preparatory work, there remains a large resource gap as the GoSL estimates
that a total of USD 14.2 million is required to implement the
demobilisation programme.
FOOD AID
Targeted feeding programmes continue. Food supplied by WFP has been
distributed to 58,000 beneficiaries during the month of April, 48,000 of
whom have been registered on the vulnerable group feeding programme. ICRC
in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Red Cross has reported distributing
483 MTs of food commodities to 36,877 beneficiaries in Freetown during the
first three months of 1998. UN-HACU will initiate and maintain a database
recording all food utilisation information by chiefdom, feeding programme
and supply agency when rural distribution returns from all the food supply
agencies are received.
There is concern over the maintenance of the food pipeline into Sierra
Leone. At present the NGO food pipeline will be exhausted in June or July
with no prospect of resupply until September. WFP is not in a position to
lend food to NGOs for the Sierra Leone programme as surplus stocks in
Guinea have been earmarked to assist the feeding of the new influx of
Sierra Leonean refugees from Kono and Kailahun districts into Gueckedou in
Eastern Guinea. The food supply agencies have communicated their concerns
over this issue to USAID, Washington in the hope that this potential break
in the pipeline will be filled.
Some commercially-hired trucking companies have refused to transport relief
food into rural areas of Sierra Leone as trucks have been commandeered by
ECOMOG for military purposes. This is a source of concern as ECOMOG's lack
of logistical capacity is directly affecting food agencies' ability to
carry out their humanitarian mandates. On 24 April food supply agencies and
the military adviser from the Office of the Special Envoy of the
Secretary-General met the ECOMOG Force Commander in Sierra Leone, Col.
Khobe, to discuss these issues. The ECOMOG Force Commander prescribed
certain guidelines with a view to eliminating the current problem. These
guidelines will be discussed with other Committee on Food Aid members to
determine whether they are appropriate for the conduct of humanitarian
operations.
HEALTH
UNICEF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health launched a mass
immunisation campaign for mothers, women of child-bearing age and children
under the age of five in the Western areas on 23 April. The campaign is
expected to be completed in three weeks.
During the first three months of 1998 a total of 78,000 people were seen
for consultations at ICRC supported clinics and 2,300 children were
immunised according to the WHO Extended Programme of Immunisation
standards.
An ACF nutritional survey conducted in Freetown for children under the age
of five revealed a Global Acute Malnutrition rate (Z score) of 9,1
percent, which represents a slight deterioration from the rate of 8,7
percent recorded at the previous nutritional survey conducted in December
1997. However, the malnutrition rate does not breach the 10 percent
threshold at which an emergency intervention is required. ACF is currently
running a wet feeding programme in Freetown for 13,000 children under the
age of five and 10,000 mothers / adult carers in the six most vulnerable
areas of Freetown. The programme will last for two months.
CHILD PROTECTION
UNICEF / Ministry of Social Welfare have completed an assessment of
residential institutions for children following ECOMOG's intervention. The
report reveals that there were 1,614 institutionalised children in Sierra
Leone at the time of ECOMOG's intervention on 6 February, 60 of these
children disappeared after the intervention although 138 new children were
institutionalised. During the period of the intervention two children were
killed, seven enlisted into the fighting forces, seven abducted and 21
girls raped.
The Ministry of Social Welfare, UNICEF, KDDO and the CDF War Council have
agreed on a plan to demobilise approximately 600 child kamajors in Kenema
district. Registration is underway and it is expected that only a small
number of accompanied children will need interim care as the majority will
go directly to their families. All child protection agencies in the region
are making provisions for the reception of the children and for their
involvement in community agricultural activities after demobilisation.
NON-FOOD ITEMS
At the inaugural non-food committee meeting in Freetown, jointly chaired by
NCRRR and UN-HACU, it was decided that three working groups focusing on
roads and bridges, shelter and non-food items would be responsible for
producing Terms of Reference of their respective activities which would be
submitted to the Consultative Forum for scrutiny. It was hoped that
additional Food for Work opportunities for reconstruction and
rehabilitation cold be identified through this new committee.
LIBERIAN REFUGEES
As at 24 April Concern Worldwide, UNHCR's implementing partner in Sierra
Leone had registered 3,500 Liberian refugees in Freetown, 1,044 of whom
were located in Waterloo camp. To date only 444 have opted for voluntary
repatriation to Liberia. Outside Freetown Concern Worldwide has registered
2,041 refugees in Kenema and 3,830 in Bo.
This report is available on the internet through RELIEFWEB:
http://www.reliefweb.int
Complex Emergency Division (CED) New York
Mr. Stephen Johnson
Tel.: (1 212) 963.3044
Fax: (1 212) 963.3630
E-Mail: johnsons@un.org
Complex Emergency Response / Consolidated Appeal Process (CER/CAP) - Geneva
Mr. David Bassiouni - Chief
Mr. Thierry Delbreuve
Tel.: (41 22) 788.6384
Fax: (41 22) 788.6389
Registry E-Mail: Abu.Conteh@dha.unicc.org
Information Service
Ms. Therese Gastaut - Director
Tel.: (41 22) 917.2300
Fax: (41 22) 917.0030
E-Mail: tgastaut@unog.ch
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