Report No. 46 of 1996 Date: 22 November 1996This report includes: A) Burundi, Rwanda, Zaire and Tanzania B) Liberia and Sierra Leone.
>From P. Ares, Chief, Programming Service. Available on the Internet at WFP Home Page http://www.wfp.org/ or by e-mail from HicksDeb@wfp.org (fax 39 6 5228 2837). For information regarding resources, donors are requested to contact Mr. F. Strippoli or Mr. M. Crosthwaite, WFP Rome, telephone no. 39 6 5228 2504 or 5228 2004.
PART I - HIGHLIGHTS (Details below in Part II)
A. EAST AFRICA: REGIONAL OPERATION FOR BURUNDI, RWANDA, ZAIRE AND TANZANIA.
1. Eastern Zaire a) Some 500,000 Rwandan refugees return to Rwanda from Eastern Zaire; access to the remaining population in need in Eastern Zaire still not possible. b) Deployment of a multinational force in the region under discussion in Stuttgart on 22 November. c) Geneva conference on humanitarian needs of the refugees, focussing on resettlement, scheduled for 23 November. d) UN team visits Bukavu 20-21 November, in first UN visit possible since 12 November; joint UN/NGO assessment team returns to Bukavu 22 November. e) Border between Bukavu and Cyangugu opens to local traffic on 20 November. f) No access by humanitarian agencies to Uvira area; no reliable information on Burundian refugees in the area.
2. Rwanda a) WFP Executive Director arrives in Kigali on 19 November. b) UN Flash Appeal for programmes in Rwanda and Eastern Zaire, totalling USD 259.5 million, issued on 18 November. c) Distribution of WFP food aid by NGOs in the form of one-month rations starts for all returnees who have reached home communes in Byumba and Kigali Rural prefectures; weekly rations to be distributed in other prefectures until registration by UNHCR and local authorities is completed. d) In Ruhengeri, delivery of food aid to communes initially delayed while aid agency trucks requisitioned to forward returnees to Byumba and Kigali Rural. e) Rwanda Government establishes a National Emergency Committee to oversee the reception operation; Prefectural Committees will include representatives of UNHCR and WFP.
3. Burundi a) WFP Executive Director in Burundi on 22 November. b) Increasing insecurity continues to cause population displacement; fighting in Ruyigi province said to be due to the presence of rebels who have crossed the lake from Zaire to Bururi province; further problems expected to result from rebel activity and expanded military operations in Kayanza, Gitega, and Bururi provinces, and possibly in the eastern provinces of Muyinga and Ruyigi. c) With fuel now available, WFP operations resume in Karuzi; operations continue for people displaced by conflict in Kayanza province; evaluation mission goes to Bururi province; rations are distributed to recently arrived returnees, including a group of over 1,240 spontaneous returnees in Cibitoke province.
4. Tanzania a) New arrivals via Kibondo and Kasulu districts of Kigoma region number 41,000 between 11 and 17 November, bringing total into Kigoma region since 1 November to 73,881.
B. LIBERIA AND SIERRA LEONE
1. Liberia a) Demobilisation programme due to begin at six sites on 22 November; WFP will provide food to assist this operation. b) Disarmament coordinating conference begins 19 November at the ECOMOG base in Monrovia.
2. Sierra Leone a) Peace agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone and the RUF due to be signed by 29 November. b) Stock situation improves.
PART II - DETAILS
A. EAST AFRICA: REGIONAL OPERATION FOR BURUNDI, RWANDA, ZAIRE AND TANZANIA
1. EASTERN ZAIRE
1.1 There are indications that notwithstanding the massive return to Rwanda of an estimated 500,000 people who crossed from the Goma area since 15 November, an estimated 800,000 persons (including internally displaced Zairians also in need of assistance) remain displaced in concentrations west of Goma town, north and west of Bukavu town, and south of Uvira. Due to insecurity and political difficulties in the Eastern Zaire region, access to these persons remains impossible. UN teams, including WFP staff, and WFP trucks carrying food commodities, are ready to enter Eastern Zaire once clearance is granted.
1.2 The deployment of a multinational force in the Great Lakes region, to be led by Canada, is being discussed on 22 November in Stuttgart by representatives of all nations participating in the force, together with UNHCR and WFP.
1.3 A meeting is to be held in Geneva on 23 November on humanitarian aspects of the refugee situation, with special focus on the resettlement of Rwandan refugees. The meeting, chaired by the Canadian minister for international cooperation, is expected to bring together ministers and high ranking officials from Canada, the USA, Europe, Japan and Australia. Senior UN and other aid officials will also attend.
1.4 A UN team (WFP, UNHCR and UNICEF) visited Bukavu from 20 to 21 November (access had been blocked since 12 November). The team was well received by the de facto authorities. Bukavu town was described as half empty and all refugee camps around Bukavu were reported abandoned. Most facilities in the town appeared to have been looted. An assessment team of humanitarian relief staff, including three WFP officers, other UN officers and many NGO staff, returned to Bukavu on 22 November.
1.5 The border between Bukavu and Cyangugu was opened to local traffic on 20 November. Zairians were allowed to enter into Cyangugu to buy goods, which are reported to be in very low supply in Bukavu.
1.6 No reliable information is available on some 100,000 Burundian refugees in the Uvira area who have been cut off from assistance for over a month, as humanitarian agencies still do not have access to this area.
2. RWANDA
2.1 Following the massive return of Rwandans from the Goma area this past week, the WFP Executive Director, Ms. Catherine Bertini, arrived in Kigali on 19 November. Ms. Bertini met some of the new returnees from Eastern Zaire in Ruhengeri prefecture the following day. At a meeting with the Minister for Rehabilitation on 21 November, tripartite agreements for the distribution of WFP food commodities to the returnees were signed between WFP, the Rwandan Government and NGO partners. Ms. Bertini, together with the UNICEF Executive Director, Ms. Carol Bellamy, met with the President of Rwanda and held a joint press conference on 21 November.
2.2 In view of the Eastern Zaire crisis, the UN announced a Flash Appeal on 18 November for UN agency programmes in Rwanda and Eastern Zaire, amounting to USD 259.5 million.
2.3 Many of the returnees who began arriving 15 November have already walked to their home communes, particularly those returning to Gisenyi and Ruhengeri prefectures. Many other returnees, mostly those going to Kigali Rural and Byumba prefectures, require transportation. Despite expectations to the contrary, no major malnutrition problems have been noticed among the returnees. It has been further reported that most people have found ways to obtain some food to cook.
2.4 High-energy biscuits have been distributed at way stations to returnees walking along the road to their home communes. Way stations are designed to help returnees who need immediate attention: water and biscuits are distributed and medical assistance is available. Food commodities have also been distributed to some 200 persons among the most vulnerable group at the hospital at Umubano transit camp in Gisenyi prefecture.
2.5 Due to the impossibility of registering the returnees and distributing food aid to them immediately upon their arrival in Gisenyi prefecture, caused by the extremely high numbers involved, WFP has been requested to provide food assistance to most of the returnees at the commune level. Following the signing of the tripartite agreements mentioned above, distribution of one-month returnee food packages by NGOs has been started to all returnees who have reached their communes in Byumba and Kigali Rural prefectures. For other prefectures, weekly rations will be distributed until registration, which is being carried out swiftly by UNHCR and local authorities, is completed, when monthly food rations will begin. In other prefectures which have been receiving much smaller numbers of returnees, food is mainly distributed in transit centres.
2.6 Although food was pre-positioned in Gisenyi, distribution to returnees in this prefecture was initially delayed while agreements with local authorities were being worked out. In Ruhengeri, the distribution of food commodities was initially delayed due to the high concentration of returnees in this prefecture and the number of returnees requiring on-forwarding to Byumba and Kigali Rural. Aid agency trucks, needed for the delivery of food commodities to the home communes, were requisitioned by the local authorities to move people.
2.7 The Rwanda Government has established a National Emergency Committee to oversee all aspects of the reception operation. Prefectural Committees are also being established, and will include representatives of the Prefecture, army and Gendarmerie commanders, Ministries of Health and Rehabilitation, UNHCR and WFP. The committees will oversee five sub-committees, on security, food, transport, social integration and health.
2.8 WFP stocks in the country represent about 300,000 one-month food rations, pre-positioned throughout the country. Eastern Zaire stocks in the region which could be diverted into Rwanda in the event of further large-scale repatriation amount to 30,860 metric tons, representing 1.4 million full one-month rations.
2.9 Although a massive repatriation from South Kivu has not taken place, preparedness measures for such an eventuality are being put in place. Way stations are being established along the Cyangugu-Butare road in order to ensure provision of high-energy biscuits to returnees as they make their way home.
2.10 WFP Rwanda has started strengthening all sub-offices in areas expected to receive high number of returnees. Priority prefectures for the time being are Gisenyi, Ruhengeri, Byumba and Kigali Rural. The offices in Cyangugu and Kibuye will also be reinforced, to deal with any influx via Cyangugu.
2.11 Local authorities have been instructed by the Government to establish transit centres in all communes, country-wide, to ensure registration points for all returnees and to shelter those who cannot reclaim their houses immediately upon arrival.
2.12 A WFP trucking fleet (consisting of 40 trucks) was recently reassigned from the Pakistan/Afghanistan operation to Kampala to support the Great Lakes operation. The trucks started arriving in Kigali on 22 November. These trucks will assist in delivering food commodities to returnees in home communes, to areas inaccessible to larger trucks.
2.13 During the week ending 18 November, in addition to the massive return from the Goma area to Gisenyi, Rwanda received 1,704 returnees entering the country at other points, from Zaire, Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda. Some 370 refugees from Zaire and Burundi also arrived in the country, via Cyangugu and Gisenyi. UNHCR and IOM finished the transfer of Zairian refugees from Umubano camp in Gisenyi to Kibuye. The 15,000 refugees are temporarily hosted at seven different locations in Kibuye, awaiting completion of work on the new camp, Kibezi. Umubano camp in Gisenyi is currently being used as a transit centre for returnees from Goma, particularly those unable to walk to their communes.
2.14 Despite the emergency returnee situation, all WFP assisted food-for-work projects in prefectures other than Gisenyi and Ruhengeri are proceeding in accordance to work plans. Even in these two prefectures, some food-for-work projects are going on and achieving rehabilitation outputs. In the coming weeks, WFP will focus on provision of assistance to returnees, however regular programmes will continue to the extent possible. The seeds protection programme has been concluded in the whole country, except in three communes of Gikongoro where it was suspended due to security reasons.
3. BURUNDI
3.1 The WFP Executive Director travelled to Burundi on 22 November, where she visited a transit center for returnees at Gatumba and met with Government officials and WFP staff.
3.2 UN Special Envoy, Raymond Chretien and UN Regional Humanitarian Coordinator Sergio Vieira de Mello met with the Burundian leadership this week to discuss the situation in Eastern Zaire and the plans for an intervention force to open humanitarian corridors.
3.3 Only 1,275 returnees crossed the border from Zaire at Gatumba between 11 and 17 November. According to UNHCR, about 12,000 returnees have passed through the Gatumba transit camp, including the camp's present population of about 2,500. In addition, unconfirmed estimates indicate that up to 22,000 spontaneous returnees are presently in Cibitoke province.
3.4 Increased insecurity in several parts of Burundi have continued to cause population displacements, including the movement of a large number of Burundian refugees to Tanzania. About 17,000 people fled fighting in Ruyigi province. It is rumoured that the latter is related to the presence of a large rebel group who came from the camps in Zaire, crossing Lake Tanganyika to Bururi province.
3.5 Increased rebel movement and activity combined with expanded military operations are considered likely to further affect various areas, especially Kayanza, Gitega, and Bururi provinces. There are fears that insecurity could increase in coming weeks in the eastern provinces, especially Muyinga and Ruyigi, if rebel groups move in that direction.
3.6 Information is still not available on large areas of the country, in particular Gitega and Karuzi provinces.
3.7 In the southwest, the main road, RN3, leading south from Bujumbura to Rumonge and Nyanza Lac, is now considered the most dangerous in the country, as two ambushes in Bururi province were reported during the week of 11-17 November (but no reported casualties). In Makamba province, a rebel attack on Nyanza Lac was also reported (unknown casualties). In Bujumbura Rural province, a military operation was reported in the area around the main road, RN7, that runs southeast from Bujumbura city. Shooting was heard in the hills around Bujumbura city. In Bubanza province, local news reports describe a rebel attack in Gihanga commune (seven dead and eleven wounded).
3.8 The WFP distribution team based in Ngozi provided emergency relief rations to 6,277 people affected by conflict in Kayanza province.
3.9 The programme of distribution in Karuzi province, long delayed by the lack of fuel, started during the past week with a distribution by the WFP team to 8,977 beneficiaries. A nutritional survey by MSF-Belgium recently found high levels of malnutrition in several displaced sites in this province.
3.10 A WFP evaluation mission went to Bururi province following recent reports of population displacements in the area. Emergency relief distributions to approximately 5,000 people are programmed for the near future.
3.11 A caseload of 14,087 benefitted from WFP returnee packages during the week of 11-17 November. This ration is provided to returnees and displaced persons who are returning to their homes or are resettling permanently elsewhere in Burundi.
3.12 The WFP team also joined a UNHCR-organised convoy to Cibitoke province and distributed returnee packages to 1,243 spontaneous returnees (those not registering at the Gatumba transit camp) in Buganda commune. Distributions of WFP food will be carried out to the estimated 20,000 other spontaneous returnees in the province. WFP returnee packages were also distributed to 500 returnees who were transferred to their home provinces from the Gatumba transit camp.
3.13 The total WFP Burundi caseload for the week of 11-17 November totalled 85,924.
4. TANZANIA
4.1 A total of 41,000 new arrivals entered Kibondo and Kasulu districts of Kigoma region between 11 and 17 November. These new influxes bring the total number of people who have crossed into Kigoma region since 1 November to 73,881 (10,255 to Kasulu, 38,925 to Kibondo and 24,701 to Kigoma town and the surrounding area).
4.2 Refugees who have crossed recently from Burundi are mainly from the provinces of Bururi, Rutana and Gitega where they were forced to flee military conflict. They report that a further 40,000 to 50,000 may be on their way to Tanzania.
4.3 Temporary holding sites in Kigoma, including the Ministry of Home Affairs compound and the stadium, are overcrowded, but both the food and health situations are under control.
4.4 In view of the new influxes, Nyaragusu camp in Kasulu was officially opened on 16 November. To date some 2,000 Burundian refugees have been transferred to the camp.
4.5 Local authorities are screening people near the border and have insisted that all new arrivals are trucked to the camps rather than being permitted to walk. This has placed considerable strain on available trucking resources.
4.6 Between 11 and 17 November, two refugees voluntarily repatriated from Karagwe and a further 80 from Ngara. In the light of the large-scale repatriation from Zaire, the Government of Tanzania and UNHCR have increased negotiations with the Rwandan refugee populations regarding a return to Rwanda. Refugees have stated that they will require confirmation that their land is unoccupied prior to returning.
B. LIBERIA AND SIERRA LEONE
1. LIBERIA
1.1 The Liberia demobilisation programme is scheduled to commence at six sites on 22 November; an estimated 100 soldiers are to be demobilised the first day. WFP will provide a one-time food distribution for this operation, for which planning figures are currently being established. The process will continue at a further four sites on 29 November. WFP staff will be present in all but one of the demobilisation sites.
1.2 A disarmament coordinating conference involving all parties and groups concerned with disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration, began on 19 November at the ECOMOG base in Monrovia. According the Executive Director of the National Disarmament and Demobilisation Commission (NDDC), 2,000 combatants from various factions have pre-registered for demobilisation.
1.3 On 16 November a WFP/DHA mission went to Phebe (site of the looting of 225 metric tons of WFP commodities on 28 October) to obtain security guarantees from the local authorities.
2. SIERRA LEONE
2.1 A peace agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone and the RUF is expected to be signed by 29 November. The Government granted general amnesty to RUF rebel fighters in a statement broadcast on 15 November. The Government has also expressed willingness to integrate qualified RUF officers into the regular army (RSLMF).
2.2 The stock situation has improved in Sierra Leone; a two-month supply of most commodities is in place. WFP Freetown has also received four vehicles urgently required to continue up-country monitoring and assessment operations.
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 46 of 1996 - November 22, 1996)
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