Report No. 30 of 1996 Date: 2 August 1996
This report includes: A) Burundi, Rwanda, Zaire and Tanzania
B) Somalia C) Liberia and Sierra Leone D) Iraq E) WFP on
the Web update.
From B. Szynalski, Director, Operational Policy and Support
Division. For information regarding resources, donors are
requested to contact Mr. F. Strippoli or Mr. M. Crosthwaite,
WFP Rome (Ph. 39 6 5228 2504 or 5228 2004).
PART I - HIGHLIGHTS
(Details below in Part II)
A. EAST AFRICA 1: REGIONAL OPERATION FOR BURUNDI, RWANDA,
ZAIRE AND TANZANIA
1. Burundi
a) Security situation remains generally calm following the
take-over of the government by Major Buyoya. Airport reopens
27 July. Travel of relief personnel within the country back to
normal as of 30 July.
b) North-west remains stable but tension continues in Kayanza
and in the south of Muyinga.
c) Forced repatriation of Rwandan refugees suspended.
d) Government authorities in Karuzi province reportedly begin
to regroup internally displaced population into four sites,
from current 18 sites.
2. Zaire - Goma
a) Increase in number of children being treated for severe
malnutrition linked to movement into the camps of refugees
previously living in recently conflict-ridden Masisi area.
3. Tanzania
a) No great increase in numbers of registered refugee
arrivals from Burundi in the week ending 29 July.
4. Rwanda
a) Returnees from Burundi who arrived during the period 19-24
July transported to their home communes in Butare.
B. EAST AFRICA 2: SOMALIA
1. Update
a) Death of General Mohammed Farah Aideed may affect future
relief operations.
C. LIBERIA AND SIERRA LEONE
1. Liberia
a) New peace plan for Liberia approved in principle at ECOWAS
Summit meeting in Abuja, 25-27 July.
b) Situation deteriorates in Tubmanburg as a result of
continued fighting between ULIMO-K and ULIMO-J factions.
2. Sierra Leone
a) Cease-fire violations continue with attacks in eastern
Sierra Leone on 27 July.
b) ICRC given green light by the Government to restart their
operations on 31 July.
D. IRAQ
1. Update
a) WFP assists in registration of Iranian refugees gathering
at UNHCR office in Erbil, following incursion by Iranian
troops into the area during offensive against Kurdish rebels.
E. WFP ON THE WEB
1. Update
a) WFP Home Page on the Web (http://www.unicc.org/wfp)
includes links to related relief and development Web sites.
PART II - DETAILS
A. EAST AFRICA 1: REGIONAL OPERATION FOR BURUNDI, RWANDA,
ZAIRE AND TANZANIA
1. BURUNDI
1.1 The overall security situation in the country has
remained calm following the take-over of the government by
Major Buyoya on 25 July. Military presence remains heavier
than usual in Bujumbura. The airport reopened on 27 July to
both internal and international traffic after a two-day
closure.
1.2 Reports of an attack by the army on rebels in Gitega
province on 26 July have been confirmed by the army, although
the number of casualties remains unconfirmed at present. The
situation in the north-west remains stable but with tension
continuing in Kayanza province and in the south of Muyinga
province.
1.3 WFP activities in Bujumbura were interrupted on the
afternoon of 25 July, and returned to normal the next day. As
a preventive security measure, WFP Ngozi suspended its
activities on 26 July.
1.4 A UN directive restricting movement outside the capital
following the withdrawal of support for ousted president
Ntibantunganya prevented assessment missions and other field
trips from taking place. However restrictions have been lifted
since 30 July; normal Government authorizations continue to be
necessary outside of Bujumbura.
1.5 The new head of state Buyoya, addressed UN Heads of
Agencies and other diplomats on 29 July, and gave the three
following reasons for the change of government: the
inefficiency of the institutions in the context of civil
war; the need to stop the acute level of violence and avoid a
genocide; and the need to prevent insurrection by small armed
gangs in Bujumbura city.
1.6 The forced repatriation exercise in northern Burundi, in
which some 15,000 Rwandan refugees were returned to Rwanda
from Ruvumu and Kibezi camps in Ngozi province, has been
suspended. The two camps are now officially closed.
1.7 Planning is under way for a new count of the refugee
population, following the movement in and out of the remaining
camps of Magara and Ruku caused by the forced repatriation
exercise. Figures are estimated at 54,000 for Magara and
11,500 in Ruku.
1.8 Although a three-week food distribution in Magara camp
was carried out 23-29 July, the next distribution is planned
ahead of schedule, on 8 August, since commodities have been
shared by beneficiaries with the incoming caseload (reported
to be some 11,400 persons), reducing their average rations
from 21 to 16 days. Distribution in Ruku camp is planned for
1-2 August.
1.9 Catholic Relief Services (CRS) continues to distribute
WFP commodities in Gitega, assisting the victims of the attack
on the camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) at
Bugendana on 20 July.
1.10 There are reports that the administration of Karuzi
province has started to regroup the IDP population from the
existing 18 sites to 4 sites (Gihagazi, Bugenhezi, Gitaramuka
and Buhiga).
1.11 Some 570 IDPs sent to Bugabira commune in Kirundo on 28
July from Rukuramigabo site were refused by the local
administrators and sent back to the site. As they had received
a reinstallation package, for the time being they are excluded
from the general food distributions.
2. ZAIRE - GOMA
2.1 In on-going security incidents, on 27 July a WFP driver
delivering WFP staff to Goma port was beaten by a soldier at
the port. Also on 27 July, two MSF Holland vehicles were
stopped by armed individuals and the passengers were robbed.
In one of these incidents, the vehicle was stolen, but later
recovered by the authorities.
2.2 The situation in the Masisi region continues to
stabilize, with occasional localized security incidents.
2.3 The last few weeks has shown an increase of 40 percent in
the number of children being treated for severe malnutrition.
This has been attributed to refugees who had been living in
the Masisi region and who fled the area during the period of
insecurity, and moved into the camps, particularly into
Mugunga and Lac Vert camps. (These children were not included
in the recent nutrition survey reported last week as showing a
decline in malnutrition rates, since they are not registered
in the camps).
3. ZAIRE - BUKAVU
3.1 Registration continues in the four largest camps in the
Bukavu area: Inera, Kashusha, Nyamirangwe and Kabira. While
the final figures for the four camps are still pending, WFP is
delivering rations using the planning figure of 300,320
beneficiaries for all Bukavu camps.
3.2 Non-food distribution, disrupted by the registration
operation, has improved. Firewood was received in full in most
camps and soap was made available to the majority of camps.
4. ZAIRE - UVIRA
4.1 Border with Burundi remains closed. Negotiations with
Burundian and Zairian authorities to receive permission to
land the WFP Twin Otter aircraft at Uvira airport are still
under way.
5. TANZANIA
5.1 Total new arrivals from Burundi of 638 and 569 were
reported in Kigoma and Kagera regions respectively.
5.2 UNHCR continues to show video films about life in Rwanda
in an attempt to encourage refugee repatriation. Despite these
efforts, only six refugees repatriated during the past week.
5.3 Refugee population reported as of 14 July is 648,202.
6. RWANDA
6.1 Following forced repatriation from Burundi into Rwanda
last week, all the 15,112 returnees have returned to their
communes in Butare. UNHCR, in conjunction with the
International Organization for Migration (IOM), provided
transport to the former refugees to their home communes on
their arrival in Rwanda. Two monthly food packages were
supplied by WFP to the returnees.
6.2 The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), WFP, UNHCR,
UNICEF, European Union, Belgian Cooperation Mission and the
Embassy of Netherlands met in Kigali to discuss ways to
coordinate efforts to provide assistance in terms of seeds and
agricultural tools to the returnees from Burundi. An estimated
10,000 families are expected to return home before the next
planting season in October.
6.3 Despite current political development in Burundi no
Burundian refugees arrived in Rwanda in the week ending 29
July. The border with Burundi was closed on the Burundi side
after the overthrow of the former President on 25 July. The
population of Burundian refugees remains at 3,700 persons (an
additional 2,000 have been in Rwanda since 1993). WFP
continues to provide food to all Burundian refugees.
6.4 WFP has concluded the third round of general distribution
at Umubano camp for Zairian refugees. The distribution was
implemented by the International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Rwandan Red Cross (CRR).
Currently the camp has an estimated population of 13,450, with
no Zairian refugees remaining in Nkamira transit camp. Any new
arrivals now will go immediately to Umubano camp where
IFRC/CRR will provide food rations until the next general food
distribution.
B. EAST AFRICA 2: SOMALIA
1. UPDATE
1.1 General Mohammed Farah Aideed, one of the major warlords
in Somalia, was injured by a stray bullet during fighting near
Medina on 24 July. After various rumours during the week as to
the extent of his injuries, confirmation of his death was
announced on 1 August. Currently, this does not affect WFP
operations in Somalia, however the ramifications of his death
could significantly affect future relief operations in the
country.
C. LIBERIA AND SIERRA LEONE
1. LIBERIA
1.1 A decision was made at the ECOWAS Summit, held in Abuja
in Nigeria between 25 and 27 July, that elections will be held
in Liberia by April 1997 with or without complete disarmament
and demobilization. Efforts will also be under way during the
coming weeks towards the restructuring of the Council of
State.
1.2 There is growing concern about the nutritional situation
of the civilian population trapped in Tubmanburg and in other
areas in Bomi and Cape Mount counties. Fighting in the area
has been continuing between ULIMO-K and ULIMO-J factions, and
relief agencies have been negotiating access to the area with
the warring factions for the past two months without success.
1.3 During the period 24-30 July, WFP provided some 580 mt of
emergency food for internally displaced persons and other
feeding programmes in and around Monrovia. A massive city
cleaning and garbage collection campaign is under way by WFP
in collaboration with the Monrovia City Council and Save the
Children UK: some 16,800 citizens were involved in this
activity and a total of 186 mt of food were distributed in
July as food-for-work. The second phase of rehabilitation of
the Spriggs Payne Airfield is now completed with food-for-work
support by WFP.
1.4 The Ministry of Education along with WFP implementing
partner the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), is
assessing school buildings in Monrovia to determine the
possibility of restarting school classes and school feeding
activities.
1.5 The WFP-chartered vessel, M/V Hollgan Star, returned to
Monrovia on 25 July with emergency supplies for UN agencies
and NGOs. Due to the improved security situation, the vessel
is to be released by end of July.
2. SIERRA LEONE
2.1 On the 25 July Revolutionary United Front (RUF) leader
Foday Sankoh revealed in a radio broadcast that he was ready
to meet with the Sierra Leone Government on peace talks any
time under the auspices of the Ivorian government. However, he
further reiterated his original stance that all foreign
troops, especially the South African private security forces,
Executive Outcomes, must leave before he disarms his fighters.
2.2 In his address at the ECOWAS summit, President Tejan
Kabbah said that although there was a cease-fire currently in
the country, the failure to continue with the peace process
will further increase the suffering of the people of Sierra
Leone.
2.3 Cease-fire violations have persisted in the last few
weeks. On 27 July rebel groups launched an attack on villages
in Kono district, looting several houses and raiding a village
clinic, from which all drug supplies were stolen.
2.4 The town of Tissoh, which is within a few kilometres of
WFP's RTI relief food warehouse in Kenema, is abandoned due to
constant rebel attacks. July distribution for the displaced in
Kenema has just finished.
2.5 The International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, has
been given formal permission by the Government to restart
their operations in Sierra Leone on 31 July. ICRC will
complete the food distributions to 100,000 beneficiaries in
Segbwema/Daru which had been suspended by the Government in
early July, and will start flying food by helicopter to 10,000
beneficiaries in rural Pujehun.
2.6 WFP has agreed to provide assistance and food-for-work to
the African Housing Fund Project which is currently operating
in the Kambia district. This project aims at constructing
houses for 800 families who would directly own the houses
after completion. Food approved for the construction of the
800 housing units amount to 40 mt. The programme will also
train 180 community members in masonry and carpentry through
food for training.
2.7 Current WFP stocks: cereals 12,000 mt; veg. oil 1,290 mt;
CSB 2,770; pulses 1,655 mt.
D. IRAQ
1. UPDATE
1.1 Iranian troops have pulled back into Iran after crossing
the border into northern Iraq late last week, in a two day
offensive against Iranian Kurdish rebels. The attack was on a
rebel camp at Koysinjap, 50 km from the border, in the
autonomous governorate of Erbil. During the attack, several
thousand refugees fled their homes in the area.
1.2 WFP has participated to the registration of some 1,030
women and children who had gathered in front of the UNHCR
building in the town of Erbil. With the calming down of the
security situation these people will be encouraged to return
to their villages. WFP will make food rations for these
persons available to UNHCR, if they are required.
E. WFP ON THE WEB UPDATE
1. WHAT'S NEW
1.1 Recent additions to the WFP Home Page on the Internet
Web, which can be found at URL
http://www.unicc.org/wfp
include an revised list of links to various other relief and
development Web sites (click on the last button on the front
page, Related Web Sites). Through the list you can link
directly to the emergency pages of UN agencies such as UNHCR
and UNICEF, and the extremely useful Relief Web of the UN
Department of Humanitarian Affairs (http://www.reliefweb.int),
as well as to ICRC, IFRC, and many NGO sites. Once you are in
the FAO home page, click on Economics to find material under
FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS).
Direct links to USAID Regional Information and the USAID FEWS
Project are also provided.
1.2 For best viewing of many useful sites which are now using
frames, download Netscape 2.0 from one of several sites on the
Web. Contact Webmaster@wfp.org if you require help.
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 30 of 1996 - August 2, 1996)
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