ICC Humanitarian Update

SUMMARY

· Members of the United Nations Security Council met with Diplomatic Corps, UN agencies, Non Governmental Organizations and religious leaders in Eritrea on 24 February 2002 at the Confederation of Eritrean Workers conference room. Eritrean and Ethiopian religious leaders met in Asmara and Addis-Ababa assisted by Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) from 13-16 February 2002 to promote confidence building;

· A one day donor field mission facilitated by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was conducted on 13 February 2002 to war affected towns of Senafe and Tsorona in Debub zone.

· The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) assisted the repatriation of 58 POWs and two civilian Eritreans and 25 Ethiopian POWs to their respective countries on 18 February 2002.

· Regional administration of Gash Barka, UNHCR and UNDP signed letter of understanding for recovery activities. Since the voluntary repatriation started on 12 May 2001, 38,766 Eritrean refugees have been repatriated;

· WFP started its pilot emergency school-feeding program in January 2002, targeting 42,000 students in 134 schools throughout the country;

PEACE PROCESS

Eritrean and Ethiopian religious leaders met in Asmara and Addis-Ababa assisted by Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) from 13-16 February 2002 to promote confidence building. The religious leaders of both countries delivered a message of peace to the people of the two countries. UNMEE provided logistics to the religious leaders’ mission.

Members of the United Nations Security Council met with members of Diplomatic Corps, UN agencies, Non Governmental Organizations and religious leaders in Eritrea on 24 February 2002 at the Confederation of Eritrean Workers conference room. During the meeting Mr. Simon Nhongo Resident Humanitarian Coordinator and Ms. Liz Sime Country Representative for Care International representing the UN and NGOs respectively briefed the meeting on the humanitarian situation in Eritrea and their work relations with UNMEE. In their briefing both, mentioned the support received from UNMEE, particularly in areas of security, logistics support and small funds for Quick Impact projects. The briefing highlighted, activities such as education, rehabilitation and reconstruction of homes and community buildings, mine clearance and mine awareness, water and sanitation, food and nutrition, agriculture, micro credit and capacity building in which humanitarian agencies in Eritrea are involved. In order to achieve durable peace, humanitarian attention should be extended to the whole country as the majority of the population has been affected by war and drought for a long period of time.

Finally, Mission Chief Mr. Ole Peter Kolby, Norway’s ambassador to the UN on behalf of the UNSC members expressed his appreciation for the briefing and noted that the UN would continue assisting Eritrea in its effort to ensure development.

Regarding their meeting with the leaders of Eritrea and Ethiopia, the members of the UN Security Council stated that they were optimistic, because both governments had reaffirmed their promise to accept the boundary commission's decision as final and binding.

On the Mereb Bridge ceremony on 23 February 2002 Mr. Ole Peter Kolby was quoted, as saying, "I call on the peoples of Ethiopia and Eritrea to put past sufferings and misery behind them and work for peace, reconciliation and normalization of relations and a promising bright future."

In line with this, Mr. Heidi Annabi the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations paid an official visit to Eritrea from 13 -17 February 2002. During his visit Mr. Annabi met senior government officials and, humanitarian and international community in Eritrea. In his meeting with the UN and NGOs working in Eritrea on 15 February 2002, he informed the meeting that the verdict of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission is “postponed by four weeks to the end of March 2002”.

The eleventh meeting of the Military Coordination Commission (MCC) was held on 5 February 2002 in Djibouti. During the meeting the UNMEE Force Commander General Patrick Cammaert, explained that since the last meeting, UNMEE had improved its monitoring of the adjacent areas of the TSZ through a combination of prior-notification visits, intensified patrolling along major and secondary access routes. The mission’s overall assessment was that the situation in the TSZ was calm, and that there was no military build up or change of posture on the part of either party. The commission agreed that the twelfth session of the MCC will be held in Djibouti in or around the beginning of March 2002.

DONOR MISSION

A one day donor field mission facilitated by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was conducted on 13 February 2002 to war affected towns of Senafe and Tsorona in Debub zone. The objective of the mission was to provide an update on the progress of the humanitarian projects and programmes that are largely funded by or need attention from the donors. The projects visited were examples of what the Government of Eritrea, UN agencies together with NGOs and UNMEE are working on various parts of the country. According to OCHA-Eritrea more missions are envisaged in other places that need attention from the international community.

POPULATION MOVEMENT

Repatriation of Nationals

The ICRC assisted the repatriation of 58 POWs and two civilian Eritreans and 25 Ethiopian POWs to their respective countries on 18 February 2002. In addition ICRC carried out the repatriation of 134 civil Ethiopians on 1 February and 10 Civil Eritreans on 26 January to their respective countries of origin. ICRC also repatriated 25 Ethiopian POWs on 15 January 2002. Since the General Peace Agreement was signed between both countries in December 2000, including the recent repatriation, the ICRC has repatriated 3,083 civil Eritreans and 22,622 civil Ethiopians to their respective countries. In addition the ICRC has organized the repatriation of 939 Eritrean and 703 Ethiopian prisoners of war. The ICRC said it would continue to assist any person affected by the armed conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and to promote the application and respect of rules and principles of International Humanitarian Law, in particular the Geneva Conventions of 1949.

Repatriation from Sudan

The regional administration of Gash Barka, UNHCR and UNDP signed a letter of understanding focusing on reintegration, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in the Gash Barka zone where over 90% of the Eritrean refugees are returning.

UNHCR and the Eritrean Relief and Refugee Commission have reported a rise in the number of refugee returns to Eritrea immediately after Christmas. In the single largest voluntary repatriation convoy to date, 3,155 refugees returned on 31 December. So far since 1 January 2002, more than 5,600 refugees have returned home. Since 12 May 2001 38,766 Eritrean refugees took advantage of the voluntary repatriation.

Reintegration efforts are continuing through the Gash Barka Zonal Reintegration Committee, which to date has approved 50 projects throughout the region in the sectors of education (17), health (5), water (19), sanitation (3), agriculture (4), and community services (2). Many projects are multi-tasking, covering several sub-zones and types of inputs such as capacity building and training. Further efforts are underway to engage other UN, governmental and NGO actors in the necessary interventions.

IDPs

408 IDPs returned to their home village of Debai-Sima in the Southern Red Sea zone from 22-24 January 2002. These IDPs had been living in Adi-Nefas camp in Assab. Some 1600 IDPs are expected to return from the camp of Adi Nefas and its environs to their villages. UNDP/PoWER in collaboration with Movimondo is facilitating the return by re-establishing the shelter and water infrastructures. There are 47,605 IDPs in camps in the country residing in Gash Barka, Debub and Northern Red Sea zones.

SECTORAL WORKING GROUP (SWG) REPORT

Education

A meeting of the Education SWG was held on 31 January 2002. The SWG discussed respective progress reports on activities undertaken in December 2001 and pledges of commitment for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of war damaged schools in the TSZ.

Education affiliated UN agencies and NGOs reported their plan of intervention in the coming months. On the issue of pledges of commitment for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of war-damaged schools, the Ministry of Education (MoE) stated that assessment reports of the 36 war damaged schools should be available at the next meeting scheduled to take place on 06 March 2002.

Food

WFP started its pilot emergency school-feeding program in January 2002, targeting 42,000 students in 134 schools throughout the country. Based on the findings of a nutritional survey conducted by the MoH in collaboration with NGOs operating in the country, WFP has increased its food ration distribution to 100% in Gash Barka and Anseba zones.

Supplementary feeding programmes for children, pregnant and lactating women are ongoing both in the TSZ and outside.

A feeding centre at Tesseney Hospital has been equipped by an Italian NGO, Movimondo. Dutch Inter Church Aid (DIA) has distributed a total of 274.4 metric tons of DMK in the drought affected areas of Gash Barka, Anseba and Debub zones. 1,183 metric tones of UNIMIX for supplementary feeding of children under five years of age and pregnant and lactating women in IDP camps and drought affected areas have been provided by UNICEF.

ERREC, WFP and the Ministry of Health deployed a team to investigate the causes of malnutrition in Anseba. The main purpose of this assessment is to establish the causes, which might include reasons other than shortage of food.

Water and Sanitation

The Water and Sanitation SWG in its recent meeting reported that UNMEE had finalised 5 boreholes and it was agreed that the Ministry of Local Government (MoLG), Water Resource Department (WRD) and UNICEF would have a meeting with UNMEE to discuss the issue of depths of boreholes as raised at the previous meeting. UNDP/PoWER will drill 9 bore holes in Gash Barka, of which some would be for the resettlement of the population from Shelab rural expellees’ camp. In Debai Sima, UNDP/PoWER and UNICEF are collaborating to drill a new borehole. UNICEF will install a solar panel and will pay half the drilling costs of a new borehole with UNDP/PoWER paying the other half.

In Mai-Aini, Tsorona and Chealo in Debub zone, boreholes have been drilled, and the civil work will soon be initiated.

The NGO, CRS informed that meetings had taken place between various government officials, UNICEF and CRS to discuss a national and local strategic plan to achieve sustainability of water supply facilities. A draft has been prepared and will be reviewed by the government before funding. One part of the plan is to issue guidelines for implementers.

Health and Nutrition

The Ministry of Health and Save the Children-UK conducted a joint malnutrition survey in December 2001 in three subzones of Gash Barka: Lailay Gash, Shambuko and Gogne. The report indicated a steady decline in the nutritional status of children under five in these areas. The first survey done in August showed a global malnutrition rate of 8.0%, then an increase to 11.6% in October, and now, in the December survey, global acute malnutrition is 14.0%. Based on the current reported population of these areas, the number of acutely malnourished children under five has increased from 2,820 in August to 4,900 today. Nothing is currently being done by any agency to target these children with supplementary food.

The report recommended the following:

· Immediate steps should be undertaken to provide supplementary food to all children and women who are malnourished;

· WFP should maintain a 100% general ration until there is a measurable decline in malnutrition for at least six consecutive months.

· Nutrition surveys should be conducted every three months by a competent agency in order to monitor the trends and plan to intervene as required.

· All families should have sufficient water storage capacity so that each person has access to at least 15 litres of water every day. The capacity of MoH to measure and monitor nutrition should continue to be strengthened.

Training of 66 women in applied nutrition including breast feeding has been concluded by UNICEF. ECHO and Concern Worldwide have recruited 42 volunteer women to serve as health promoters and assist during outreach activities and monthly Growth Monitoring activities.

Regarding health activities the SWG reported that polio eradication activities are ongoing both in the TSZ and outside. A group of three Stop Transmission of Polio (STOP) teams are in country to support the MoH in accelerating polio eradication activities in Eritrea.

The Malaria annual meeting was held from 23-25 January 2002 and WHO has brought three consultants from WHO/HQ and WHO AFRO to assist the MoH. The Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) guidelines have been revised with the consultant of WHO assisting the MoH. The guidelines included the 19 priority health problems in the country.

Support for the repair/renovation of 12 health facilities in Gash Barka and Debub has been provided through UNFPA. Restoration of maternal and child healthcare services in the TSZ has been done by providing 45 solar refrigerators and 20 MCH kits. Four health stations (three in Debub and one in Gash Barka) have been re-opened with the assistance of Eritrean Catholic Secretariat (ECS).

Twenty-three health facilities outside the TSZ have been supplied with necessary supplies. This was done with the assistance of ECS.

Shelter and Non Food Item

The SWG in its recent meeting said that the NGO, CESVI has completed the rehabilitation of 418 houses in Omhajer where the target was for 400 houses. In addition, they are rehabilitating the administration building and the elementary school in Omhajer, as well as the market. Construction of new houses by UNDP/PoWER is going on in Tesseney and Goluj. 60% of the 30 houses in Tesseney and 80% of the 30 houses in Goluj are completed. Plans are underway to complete all 120 units by the end of February 2002.

UNDP is rehabilitating 6,800 houses in Gash Barka and Debub zones with the provision of roofing materials, doors and windows. The Gash Barka zone administration reported that more than 70% of the targeted 2,400 houses in the zone are already completed.

Movimondo is working in Debubawi Keih Bahri (Southern Red Sea zone) in rehabilitation of the village if Debai Sima with the provision of 271 Agudo structure and the covering of almost 80 water tanks. The NGO, CRIC has agreed with UNDP/PoWER to rehabilitate 113 completely destroyed houses in 10 villages of Adiquala sub-zone, Debub Zone.

MINE ACTION

A report from UNMACC stated that Landmine Safety Brief (LSBs) for NGOs was conducted at the Mine Action Coordination Center (UNMACC) on 1 February 2002. The briefing was delivered to 24 representatives of NGOs and UN Agencies.

In other related news the UNMACC in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, commenced the training of schoolteachers on Mine Risk Education (MRE) from 11 December 2001 to the end of January. According to the report 133 teachers from Barentu and 66 teachers from Tesseney have to date completed MRE courses successfully. All teachers were selected from mines affected areas. The NGO EDA and MAT will help with monitoring and follow-up in schools. The NGO MAT jump-started their operation in Shambuko and Tserona training community volunteers. Initial reports reflect positive results.

Mine Incident

On 22 January a mine accident occurred near Senafe resulting in casualties to teenaged boys, of whom four were killed and three were seriously injured. INDBAT and Senafe Team Site assisted in facilitating the medical evacuation of the injured teenagers. A similar, incident was reported through UNMACC at approximately 2 km North of Senafe on 8 January where three policemen detonated anti-personnel mine. The resultant explosion amputated the foot of one member while the other sustained facial injuries from the blast.

For further information relating to the ICC Update please contact ICC Information Officer Sirak Gebrehiwot Tel: 182923, 185154 or e-e-e-mail icc@gemel.com.er