Congo - UN: 01.Apr-31.May.98
Congo - UN: 01.Apr-31.May.98
Office of the Resident Co-ordinator
for the Operational Activities of the UN System
Brazzaville-Republic of the Congo
Humanitarian Situation Report
April/May 1998
Humanitarian overview
1. Seven months after the end of the 1997 civil war, Congo-Brazzaville's
gradual steps towards recovery, though positive, emit some mixed signals.
Displaced people have continued to return to the devastated capital and a
few shops and restaurants have even re-opened in the destroyed city
centre. But the steady erosion of the population's purchasing power in the
face of prolonged economic inactivity means that very few Congolese can
afford to frequent those establishments. Food security conditions remain
precarious for much of the country's population, while the high price of
construction materials prevents many families from reconstructing or
repairing their war-damaged homes.
2. While public services are being slowly reactivated, health and
education systems remain very weak throughout the country. Payment of
civil servant salaries are becoming more irregular, and absenteeism is
said to be increasing. While the overall security situation has improved
in Brazzaville, a crisis in southern Congo in April led to new population
displacements and looting in affected areas.
3. During this period, Congo's central bank has reopened, international
air flights to Brazzaville have resumed and a handful of foreign
businesses have returned. On account of the oil and forestry industries,
the national monetary committee estimates that the Congolese economy will
grow by about 8% in 1998. But the committee noted that the war had
profoundly affected the country's macro-economic situation and that the
other sectors of the economy had regressed.
4. World Bank missions visited Brazzaville on several occasions in view of
an information meeting to be held next month in Washington, to review
Government economic and financial policies as well as its emergency
investment Programme.
Within the context of a UNDP funded Programme Framework for rehabilitation
and reconstruction, UNCHS/Habitat, UNESCO and UNIDO carried out missions
to the Republic of the Congo to assist Government in the definition of
policies, strategies and priority actions in the housing, education and
industrial sectors. In addition a UNESCO team visited Brazzaville to hand
over to Government 100 tons of furniture and didactic material for
schools.
5. To meet the immediate humanitarian needs of vulnerable populations and
reinforce moves towards a state of normality, UN agencies and their
partners continue efforts to strengthen and rehabilitate health,
education, shelter, agriculture and other basic social services and
community infrastructure in Brazzaville and other affected areas of the
country, as detailed below. Special efforts have also been made during
this period to begin addressing the issues of widespread youth
unemployment and disillusionment as well as the social reintegration of
former child-combatants.
6. Insufficient resources, however, have constrained the UN agencies'
ability to respond to urgent humanitarian and rehabilitation needs. In
response to the UN 1998 Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for the Congo,
only 5% of the identified requirements have been contributed to UN
agencies by the donor community as of end-May. A visit to Brazzaville by
UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy, as well as by UN Special
Representative and Humanitarian Advisor Ambassador Berhanu Dinka, helped
in efforts aimed at focusing the international community's attention on
the continuing humanitarian needs in the Congo and the importance of
increased donor support during this transition phase.
Health and nutrition
7. As of 6 May, a total of 3,236 cholera cases were reported in the
Kouilou region of southern Congo, mainly in the economic hub of
Pointe-Noire, and 104 deaths have been attributed to the disease. Between
20 and 30 new cases were being reported every day, but the number of
deaths from the disease has dropped drastically since February. ICRC
constructed a 25,000-litre water reservoir and two double latrines at
Tie-Tie hospital, one of the two cholera reference hospitals in Pointe
Noire.
8. Outbreaks of whooping cough and bloody diarrhea have been reported in
the Lekoumou region of southern Congo, but numbers of cases were not yet
available. In view of the effects of the war, an increase in the number
of cases of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases is also
foreseen in the Congo. However, the absence of a national health
information system since the war has hampered efforts to monitor and
quickly respond to disease outbreaks. WHO continues efforts to
re-establish epidemiological surveillance systems in the country.
9. Children in virtually all parts of the country (with the exception of
Brazzaville) have not been vaccinated over the past year, which deprives
them of the most basic protection against major child killers such as
measles. As a result, UNICEF has noted that it is likely that preventable
diseases will kill more children than did the bullets and bombs in the
1997 civil war. To help address the situation, UNICEF in collaboration
with the Government is organizing measles vaccination and vitamin A
supplementation campaigns in all other urban centres of the country,
starting with Pointe-Noire on 16 June. These campaigns will target about
205,000 children under five years old. In addition, WHO is coordinating
preparations for national vaccination days against polio, scheduled for
November/December 1998.
10. ICRC has phased out its emergency food, non-food and medical
assistance to health establishments in Brazzaville. Between January and
end-March, ICRC provided regular medical supplies to 14 centres and ad hoc
assistance to another five centres. In all, 600 kg of essential drugs, 16
dressing kits, 14 paediatric kits, 7 basic kits, three dispensary kits and
medical and therapeutic guidelines were dispatched, allowing an estimated
20,000 consultations to take place. ICRC continues to assist in the
rehabilitation of four health centres that were heavily-damaged during the
conflict. The NGO International Rescue Committee (IRC) continues to
support Talangai hospital in Brazzaville.
11. Since the February survey in Brazzaville, which revealed an acute
child malnutrition rate of 9%, there has been no notable improvement in
the nutritional situation of children and other vulnerable groups in
Brazzaville. New data indicates that the number of babies born
underweight in the city has increased by about 45% since the end of the
war. Cases of Kwashiorkor have started to appear in Brazzaville. WFP in
collaboration with Caritas and other partners is supporting several
nutrition centres in Brazzaville. UNICEF and the Government continue to
make preparations for undertaking a nationwide nutrition survey.
12. Primary health care structures were reportedly affected by the recent
crisis in the Bouenza area of southern Congo, which ended in early May.
Many health centres and other social service infrastructure were
reportedly looted by militia and soldiers. ICRC has begun a series of
assessment missions to determine humanitarian needs in affected areas.
UNICEF has donated a one-month supply of essential drugs and vaccines to
Bouenza's Loutete Hospital, located on the rail line between Brazzaville
and Pointe-Noire, which had not received any support since the start of
the civil war in June 1997.
Food security and agriculture
13. The price of basic food items remains very high in relation to the
purchasing power of most people. In addition, high unemployment,
interruption of agricultural activities, a general deterioration of living
conditions and decreased access to basic quality health care services have
all contributed to the deterioration of household food security conditions
for a large segment of the population.
14. WFP has distributed a total of 2,800 tons off food aid to some 50,000
vulnerable people between November 1997 and April 1998. The beneficiaries
include malnourished children in nutritional centres, pregnant women and
lactating mothers, elderly people with no support, hospital in-patients
and people whose houses were destroyed and who have found accommodation in
makeshift sites in the town. Earlier-reported WFP logistical constraints
have been partly resolved after the Government instructed the railway
company to give priority to the despatch of WFP food from Pointe-Noire to
Brazzaville. During April/May, the local NGO Laissez vivre le Congo
distributed food supplies to needy families in Kinkala, Mindouli and other
communities south of Brazzaville.
15. WFP is preparing or implementing several food-for-work and
income-generating projects to avoid creating dependancy on food aid among
beneficiaries and to promote their self-reliance. In line with this
effort, WFP in June is planning to reduce the number of free-food
recipients from 50,000 to about 15,000 people, targeting beneficiaries in
nutritional centres and other particularly vulnerable groups.
16. FAO continues preparations to distribute seeds to some 60,000
displaced families. FAO is also planning to distribute agricultural tools
to displaced and settled populations in rural areas and to equip fishermen
with basic fishing materials. In a planned joint WFP/FAO project, fifty
women's groups will be supported to undertake seed multiplication
activities.
Water and sanitation
17. ICRC continues to support water authorities in Brazzaville to ensure
the continued operation of the city's main water treatment and
distribution system. Over 200 tons of chemicals, 16 tons of plumbing
equipment and substantial logistical support have enabled the Djiri and
Djoue plants to function between February and April. In south Brazzaville,
ICRC drilled two new boreholes and equipped them with handpumps in areas
not served by the existing network. In addition, ICRC is planning to help
rehabilitate the water-treatment and distribution plant in Djambala,
located about 215 km north of Brazzaville, with a view to doubling the
capacity of the water system serving Djambala's population. 18. In spite
of these and other efforts, the country's urban water systems remain
fragile. Only about 50% of the population of Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire
has access to potable water supplies. About 17% of the population of both
cities has access to hygienic latrines, further increasing the risk of the
spread of water-borne diarrhoeal diseases.
19. WFP is planning to start a ten-month project aimed at cleaning up
Brazzaville and reversing the deterioration in hygiene conditions observed
since the war. The proposed food-for-work project, to be implemented in
collaboration with the Government and partner NGOs, will involve garbage
collection and construction of latrines and drainage systems, among other
activities. Some 2,050 tons of food will be required for the project,
which will provide temporary employment for about 2,000 young men (mostly
ex-militiamen) and 300 women. Shelter
20. UNCHS (Habitat) undertook a mission to Brazzaville in April to
formulate a national programme for the rehabilitation of urban
infrastructure. The medium-term programme will focus on the rehabilitation
of infrastructure and equipment in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire.
21. In January, the country's Council of Ministers took the decision to
reduce the cost of construction materials to make them accessible to
populations whose homes were affected by the war. However, the cost of
construction materials today remains prohibitive for the majority of
people, and an inter-ministerial committee has therefore been formed by
the Council to analyse the situation and find ways to secure the
called-for reductions in the price of shelter and construction materials.
Education
22. UNESCO donated about 100 tons of textbooks, schools supplies,
furniture and other education materials to the Ministry of Education on 29
May. The materials are to be distributed to war-damaged schools that are
being repaired or are slated for rehabilitation. UNICEF has donated basic
school supplies to about 5,000 children and their teachers in war-affected
primary schools in Brazzaville since January. To further encourage the
return of children to primary school, UNICEF distributed high-protein
biscuits to some 24,000 children in 47 primary schools in Brazzaville
between 30 April and 6 May.
23. The international NGO ACTED is rehabilitating six war-damaged primary
schools in Brazzaville, with French Government funding. Atlas Logistique
finished rehabilitating 28 primary schools in the Cuvette region of
northern Congo, with UNICEF funding, to benefit about 10,000 children.
Youth and child welfare
24. In her meetings with President Denis Sassou-Nguesso and several
Ministers in Brazzaville on 25 April, the UNICEF Executive Director
discussed the need for the Government, national and international agencies
and civil society to work together to improve the situation of children
and women in the post-conflict period. She urged the Government to make
health and education their priorities for rehabilitation and development
efforts, which constitute an important investment in the future of the
country.
25. An inter-agency mission is scheduled to arrive in Brazzaville in the
coming weeks to identify strategies and priority actions for the
settlement of young people in rural areas and the reintegration into
civilian life of former child combatants and other war-affected youth. The
mission will comprise representatives from FAO, UNESCO, ILO, the World
Bank and UNICEF. These efforts are undertaken in collaboration with the
Ministry of Technical and Professional Education.
Landmines
26. During the visit of the UNICEF Executive Director to Brazzaville,
President Sassou-Nguesso confirmed his Government's willingness to sign
and ratify the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling,
Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction
(the Landmine Treaty). The treaty-signing ceremony is scheduled to take
place at UN Headquarters in New York on 16 June, on the occasion of the
Day of the African Child.
Peace-building
27. In April, UNESCO sponsored a seminar in Brazzaville on journalism
ethics, as part of its efforts to promote a culture of peace in the Congo.
A separate UNESCO-sponsored workshop dealt with the creation of a network
of women's associations in favour of peace and national reconciliation and
the development of a culture of peace in the Congo. This workshop was
organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Family and the Integration
of Women in Development.
Refugees
28. Some 12,000 Rwandan refugees continue to receive assistance in four
UNHCR-supported camps in the Congo, in collaboration with implementing NGO
Atlas Logistique and other partner agencies. Between May 1997 and April
1998, WFP provided a total of 1,800 tons of food to Rwandan refugees in
the camps. UNHCR continues to promote durable solutions for the Rwandan
refugees in the Congo, including voluntary repatriation or integration
into local communities. The Government has already identified areas where
Rwandan refugees could be integrated, with the assistance of UNHCR and
other agencies.
29. ICRC has registered a total of 243 Rwandan unaccompanied minors under
16 years old in the four camps and has initiated efforts to trace their
families in Rwanda. The refugee unaccompanied children over 16 years old,
estimated at 160, are to be registered by another agency in a separate
exercise. While accurate numbers are not available, there are increasing
reports of refugee children (both accompanied and unaccompanied) working
as cheap labour in the homes and markets of Brazzaville.
30. Some 20,000 refugees from the Cabinda area of Angola remain in the
Kouilou region of southern Congo. About 14,000 are living in Pointe-Noire
and the rest are accommodated in UNHCR-assisted camps outside the city.
31. UNHCR has started re-registering people who were living as refugees in
Brazzaville before June 1997 and who fled the city on account of the war.
There were some 3,405 urban refugees from 13 different countries living in
Brazzaville before the conflict. As of mid-April, UNHCR had re-registered
121 refugees from Chad, Burundi, Angola, CAR, DRC, Rwanda and Sierra
Leone. UNHCR is planning to start a project to provide basic assistance to
the most needy urban refugees in Brazzaville, as well as in Pointe-Noire.
32. UNHCR in collaboration with its partners continues to provide food and
non-food items to some 8,000 Congolese refugees who recently repatriated
to Brazzaville from the DRC. Under the operation, the returnees receive
relief items for the first three months. Just over 17,000 Congolese
repatriated with UNHCR assistance between late October 1997 and the end of
the operation in March 1998. WFP provided a total of 300 tons of mixed
food commodities to the returnees upon their arrival. The returnees are
also offered free health care at the Talangai Hospital for a three-month
period, in collaboration with IRC.
Natural disasters
33. An earthquake measuring six on the Richter scale hit the remote
Likouala region in northern Congo between 20-26 April. A Government team
travelled to the region on 30 April to assess the impact of the quake. The
team reported that there were no casualties from the earthquake and that
physical damages were negligible. However, the mission reported a serious
lack of essential drugs and other basic supplies in the area. Emergency
food and non-food emergency supplies provided to the assessment team by
UNICEF were therefore donated to authorities in the regional capital of
Epena for distribution to needy people in the area.
Coordination
34. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the republic of the Congo hold
meetings with all humanitarian partners, including one on the occasion of
the UN Special Representative and Humanitarian Advisor Ambassador Berhanu
Dinka's mission to Brazzaville (18 May). The meetings are meant to review
the activities of humanitarian partners and exchange views on the current
humanitarian situation in the country. They are now co-chaired by the
Ministry of National Solidarity, in charge of Humanitarian Action. During
Ambassador Dinka's mission, meetings took also place with national
authorities, including the Minister of National Solidarity and
War-Affected People, in Charge of Humanitarian Action, as well as the
French Ambassador.
35. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator continues to work closely with UN
agencies and other partners operational in the Congo to ensure the
coordination of humanitarian activities. She has also initiated or
facilitated several assessment and project formulation missions during
this period, including from UNESCO, UNIDO, UNCHS, the World Bank and other
organizations, with a view to advancing the shift from relief towards
longer-term rehabilitation and development.
Security
36. The UN Field Security Advisor arrived in Brazzaville on 28 April
1998. Analysis of the security situation will be submitted to UNSECOORD
with a view to adjust the security phases for various regions of the
country.
[The material contained in this communication comes to you via IRIN, a UN
humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations or its agencies. UN IRIN Tel: +254 2 622123 Fax:
+254 2 622129 e-mail: irin@dha.unon.org for more information or
subscriptions. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please
retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include
attribution to the original sources. IRIN reports are archived on the WWW
at: http://www.reliefweb.int/emergenc or can be retrieved automatically by
sending e-mail to archive@dha.unon.org. Mailing list: irin-cea-extra]
distributed by
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Volunteers in Technical Assistance
Disaster Information Center lists: listproc@vita.org
sitreps nat-dsr
web: www.vita.org appeal fireline
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
comments/suggestions/requests to incident@vita.org