Source: Information Coordination Centre
Date: 2 May 2001
Government of the State of Eritrea
and United Nations Rapid Village Assessment Report Senafe Sub-zone: 23-25 Apr
2001
A joint Government and UN Inter-Agency Rapid Village Assessment (RVA) was conducted
from 23 - 25 April of villages in the Senafe sub-zone of Debub. The purpose of
the assessment was to identify priority needs in villages in the Temporary
Security Zone in anticipation of the imminent return of large numbers of
residents who have been displaced, particularly since the third round of
fighting broke out in May 2000.
The Eritrean Relief and Refugee Commission (ERREC) prioritized 25 villages for assessment including those previously inaccessible and for which there was little or no data. As four of the villages ERREC identified were not accessible, it was impossible to obtain information on these populations.
The assessors were divided into two teams for logistical purposes. In each village visited, the teams interviewed local administrators and residents. Below are sectoral assessments of the situation as observed in the settlements visited and recommendations for interventions on the part of the humanitarian community. Summary findings and recommendations for possible Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) for each village are attached.
The two teams were escorted by CIMIC officers from the Dutch, French and Canadian contingents. Their outstanding contribution to the successful completion of the RVA cannot be overstated.
Members of the assessment team
Name Organization
1. Ghebreyesus Woldemichael: ERREC
2. Habteab Woldetensae: ERREC
3. Tesfai Beynasai: Senafe Sub Zone Administrator
4. Gebrehiwot Awalom: Senafe Sub Zone Administrator's Office
5. Bisrat Hagos: Senafe Sub Zone Administrator's Office
6. Tiblez Araia: UNDP
7. Gregory Rachu: UNFPA
8. Assefaw Tewelde: UNDP-PoWER
9. Negheset Hagos: UNDP-PoWER
10. Kazumi Ogawa: UNMEE Political Affairs
11. Gillian Kitley: UNMEE Human Rights
12. Yemane Kidane: UNICEF
13. Tedros Demoz: UNICEF
14. Christopher Hurd: OCHA
Villages assessed and location of displaced population
|
Village |
GPS |
Remarks |
Current
Population |
Pre-war
Population |
|
1. Senafe |
N 14º 42. 213' |
Assessed |
6000 * |
10,263 * |
|
2. Kesheat |
N 14º 40.640' |
Assessed |
2500 * |
4511 * |
|
3. Adi Hisho |
N 14º 38.930' |
Assessed |
1894 * |
6903 * |
|
4. Monokiseito |
N 14º 31'
53.44" |
Assessed |
3833 * |
5196 * |
|
5. Kisad Emba |
N 14º 40.072' |
Assessed |
1044 * |
4177 * |
|
6. Rokoito |
N 14º 36.930' |
Assessed |
1000 * |
4066 * |
|
7. Meshal Akran |
- |
Not Assessed |
- |
- |
|
8. Mirara |
N 14º 37.503' |
Assessed |
825 * |
4881 * |
|
9. Zigfet |
N 14º 37'
02.81" |
Assessed |
226 |
400 |
|
10. Nedwe |
N 14º 34'
01.92" |
Assessed |
2500 * |
4255 * |
|
11. Ruba-Natsa |
N 14º 33'
20.75" |
Assessed |
3275 * |
4100 * |
|
12. Lahyo |
- |
Not Assessed |
- |
- |
|
13. Ambesetegeleba |
- |
Not Assessed |
- |
- |
|
14. Adi-Begio |
N 14º 41.584' |
Assessed |
3800 * |
4100 * |
|
15. Golo |
N 14º 43' |
Assessed |
936 |
5001 |
|
16. Mai-Tera |
|
Assessed |
|
4738 * |
|
17. Bihat |
N 14º 35'
48.93" |
Assessed |
550 |
1637 |
|
18. Forto |
N 14º 35' |
Assessed |
675 * |
4259 |
|
19. Adi-Kuri |
N 14º 36'
28.52" |
Assessed |
167 |
393 |
|
20. Cheguaro |
Not Available |
Assessed as part of
Adi Hisho |
- |
- |
|
21. Ksad-Burukha |
Not Available |
Assessed as part of
Forto |
- |
- |
|
22. Serha Town(New) |
N 14º 32'
44.29" |
Assessed |
0 |
924 |
|
23. Serha Village (Old) |
N 14º 32'
41.71" |
Assessed |
499 |
2000 |
|
24. Kokobai |
- |
Not Assessed |
- |
1963 |
|
25. Aromo |
Not Available |
Assessed |
1215 |
1420 |
|
26. Medere |
N 14º 39.440' |
Assessed |
4200 |
600 |
|
27. Emba-Bidehan |
N 14º 33'
26.36" |
Assessed |
653 |
1162 |
* indicates population figure is for the entire kebabi adi, not just the village
Summary finding by sector
Population movements/Return:
The population of Senafe sub zone is currently estimated to be approximately 50% of its pre-war level. Only one of the villages visited in the sub zone, Serha, was completely empty. For the most part, the people presently residing in their home villages are those who remained there throughout the entire conflict. The Assessment Team noted exceptions, however, in Monokiseito and Ruba-Natsa, among others, where the entire village population was displaced and between 50% and 75% of the pre-war population have now returned.
One of the Senafe sub-teams found a group of IDPs living near the village of Rokoito. The group was estimated to number approximately 500 persons, comprised of largely elderly or very young children. The residents reported that they were from Ambesetegeleba. They were living in well-worn tents, and were using an open well that they share with livestock as their water source. This group had received some food distributions, though they reported that the food supplies were not adequate. The ICRC recently brought these people 200 blankets and 50 cooking sets. Though this is not sufficient to assist these people, it is an important step in recognizing their needs. Local NECBAT officers were so concerned about their condition that they have taken up a collection from individual personal resources to purchase items to assist them.
Road Access/Mines:
The threat of landmines continues to present a significant problem in being able to assure the safety of returning populations. Senafe has witnessed a number of incidents recently where children have either detonated landmines or have been playing with unexploded ordinance (UXOs). Serious injuries and deaths have occurred. The need to encourage the speedy return of villagers in order to preserve the upcoming planting season must be tempered with caution. The implementation of landmine awareness and demining programs will be particularly important in those areas proximate both to the border and to trenches.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has already begun distributing posters to raise awareness of the landmine problem. HALO Trust and Danish Church Aid (DCA) have recently completed a preliminary survey of the area while HALO Trust recently deployed trained de-miners to begin the de-mining process around Senafe town.
On proven and clear routes, road access is generally not a serious problem as all of the villages visited are accessible by four-wheel drive vehicle or by light truck. Most villages are accessible by car, though there are some locations that could become difficult to access during the rainy season.
Status of homes and community buildings:
Community buildings were a common target of looting and destruction throughout the sub-zone. Severe damage and looting to both community and private buildings (homes) occurred in Serha village and in Serha town. As a generalization, the level of damage to villages varies directly with their proximity to the disputed border. Serha (town) has barely a single building standing intact. In other villages, the destruction of homes is common, but not to the scale evidenced in Serha. More typically, community buildings were the targets. Civil administration buildings, schools, clinics, churches, police stations and shops have routinely suffered varying degrees of damage. The Assessment Team noted that it appeared that there was more damage to the houses where villages were evacuated, rather than to the houses of people who had never left.
Health and Nutrition:
The UNICEF representative participating in the RVA conducted a random nutritional sample of 132 children between the ages of 1 and 5 years old in 4 villages (Zigfet, Serha Village, Bihat and Emba-Bidehan) by measuring mid upper-arm circumference (MUAC). His survey revealed that approximately 8% of the children were severely malnourished and approximately 21% were moderately malnourished. 35% of male children demonstrated signs of malnutrition, while 25% of female children showed the same symptoms.
The Assessment Team believes that there is a strong possibility that this incidence of malnutrition may be a function of two factors: food insecurity, and water and sanitation. The Assessment Team was repeatedly informed that the most common diseases encountered in health facilities were ARI (Acute Respiratory infections) and diarrhea. It is likely that the high incidence of diarrhea may be a function of the problems of water quality that many villages are experiencing. The malnutrition problem may also be related to the reduced food distributions (and to the absence of supplementary feeding programs) that have been received by residents (as discussed below).
However, it should be noted that a survey of 132 children in four villages is not a statistically significant sample. Further sampling would be required in order to substantiate this hypothesis.
The only hospital in the sub zone before the conflict was in Senafe. It is now completely demolished beyond repair. MSF-France has established a health station in Senafe to treat patients whose most common complaints are colds, acute respiratory infections (ARI) and diarrhea. Outside Senafe, the only other functioning health clinic was found in Rokoito established by the ICRC and staffed by a local health worker who is seeing up to 70 patients per day.
The Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the humanitarian community, must identify and dispatch qualified medical staff to operate those clinics which will only require relatively small inputs in order to be brought back to an operating standard. For example, there is a clinic building in Mesarha (in the kebabi adi of Zigfet) that was built with funding from Italian Cooperation. The building is entirely intact with only very minor damage to the windows. Furthermore, there is a hand pump adjacent to the clinic that would require only minor repairs to be brought back to working condition. The clinic will, however, require the replacement of all furniture and equipment as well as a complete re-stocking of medical supplies.
In many cases, as IDPs return to their villages, the medical personnel will return with them (as they were displaced into the same camps). Where this is not the case medical staff will need to be quickly identified so as to provide the necessary minimum standard of care.
Food and Food security:
The main source of food in the villages that were visited was food distributions organized by the ICRC using cereals provided by the World Food Programme. Virtually every village visited reported that they were not receiving adequate food assistance. The possibility cannot be excluded that the incidence of malnutrition that was seen by the UNICEF representative may, in part, be explained by insufficient access to food.
The Assessment Team was informed that food distributions performed by the ICRC include 10 kg of wheat, 1 kg of vegetable oil, 1 kg of lentils and 1 kg of sugar. This distribution totals approximately 1680 kcals, which represents approximately 80% of the kcal ration (2100 kcal per day) as compared to distributions in other areas of Eritrea. The distributions, which the ICRC has conducted in collaboration with WFP resources, are expected to continue through May.
The need for agricultural inputs was identified as a priority in a wide range of the villages assessed. Village authorities requested seeds and tools, fertilizers and assistance in restocking livestock.
The Assessment Team received a number of reports of villages currently being unable to farm what residents considered their farmland. This was due to the occupation and current cultivation of that land by Ethiopians.
Water Supply and Sanitation:
While inadequate quantities of water are generally not reported to be a significant problem encountered by a large number of villages, the Assessment Team was informed of a number of instances where water quality had deteriorated as alternate water sources were being used in light of stolen pumps, which left wells not operational. Many villages reported that they were now using open water sources, often shared with livestock. The high incidence of diarrhea reported by the health facilities in Senafe sub zone correlates to water quality. The Assessment Team was concerned that the problems of water sanitation may also be linked to the malnutrition rates which seen by the participating UNICEF nutritionist.
The ICRC has already begun the rehabilitation of the water supply in Senafe as well as installing a pump and generator in Rokoito. The ICRC also repaired a hand pump in Forto that supplies water to approximately 4200 residents.
Education:
There were no schools operating officially in any of the villages visited by the Assessment Teams. In Senafe town, there are unofficial classes being taught to 1st through 6th Grade students by secondary school students. These impromptu classes are being financially supported by the UN Military Observers. However, this project does not currently have the full approval of the local officials of the Ministry of Education.
Throughout the sub zone, school buildings were routinely targeted for destruction and looting. A major effort of reconstruction and refurbishment will be required in order to prepare for the new school year in September 2001.
Security:
Despite the establishment of the TSZ and the presence of UN military observers and peacekeepers, there are concerns about security. The perceived security of both remainees and returnees to Senafe sub zone is low. The Assessment Teams heard many reports of stolen livestock and household goods occurring in recent months. This is particularly true in those areas close to the border, where there has been a long history of cross border looting.
Recommendations for immediate interventions
1. The Assessment Team was extremely concerned about the situation of the approximately 500 IDPs located near the village if Rokoito and urges that UN Agencies, the Government of the State of Eritrea, NGOs and other humanitarian actors should make every effort to provide additional emergency relief for these people, who appear to have gone largely overlooked.
2. Full food rations should be made available as soon as possible and in conjunction with the impending return of IDPs. However, distributions should include flour rather than whole grains due to the diminished milling capacity in almost every village visited. In the longer term, the restoration of the milling capacity (and the possible expansion of that capacity) should be carried out as soon as possible. In many cases, this would require a simple repair or replacement of parts, and could be done quickly and inexpensively.
3. Supplementary feeding programs need to be instituted across Senafe sub zone to counter malnutrition rates. The Assessment Team recommended that humanitarian actors consider broadening the eligible age range for such programs to include all children up to 12 years old. UNICEF's nutritionist recommended that such programs be started as soon as possible, targeting children between the ages of 6 to 59 months as well as pregnant and lactating women. Furthermore, it is recommended that Vitamin A capsules be distributed to children and to lactating women.
4. The malnutrition rates among children remaining in the TSZ highlight the broader problem of the incongruities of assistance provided to those who were displaced into camps as compared to those who remained in their home communities. A concerted effort needs to be made to target those who have received less assistance by virtue of the difficulty in accessing them in what is now the TSZ.
5. The damage to community buildings and to homes (and the loss of their contents, in many cases) underscores the importance of IDPs leaving camps being able to return with whatever possessions they have with them. Government authorities and the humanitarian community should make every effort to assist IDPs to return home with tents, plastic sheeting, a food ration and non-food items. Similarly, the relocation of emergency health and education facilities (and water and sanitation facilities were possible) would prove a significant asset in reducing the strain imposed on the damaged infrastructure in the home communities.
6. The provision of seeds, agricultural tools, fertilizers and the re-stocking of livestock will be necessary in order to assist farmers to recover their livelihoods. Furthermore, the issue of farmland considered Eritrean and yet currently being cultivated by Ethiopians needs to be addressed.
7. The establishment of mobile health clinics may provide a short-term solution regarding access to health care for those returning to villages where health clinics have been looted or destroyed. In the longer-term, the urgent provision of trained personnel, basic drugs, medical equipment to those health facilities which can be quickly rehabilitated and returned to normal operating conditions should be considered a priority intervention
8. Access to firewood poses a difficult problem for most families and the scarcity of some form of cooking fuel is creating pressure on the ecosystem as fewer and fewer trees remain standing. Withdrawing Ethiopian authorities cut down all the trees in the central area of Senafe sub zone. There is a need in the short-term to provide some alternative form of cooking fuel, such as kerosene stoves or charcoal, or to provide more efficient stoves so as to reduce the demand for wood. In the longer-term, re-forestation programs could help to provide a renewable resource for fuel.
9. The humanitarian community will need to assist with the rehabilitation of the water supply in many villages. In many cases, the provision of clean water can be accomplished with the replacement of pumps and generators.
10. Local schools will require both rehabilitation and the replacement of furniture, blackboards and school materials. In addition, children who have remained in their home villages in Senafe sub zone will have missed an entire year of school and will require some form of remedial education program.
11. The Assessment Team recommends that traditional methods of landmine awareness (such as the distribution of pamphlets) should be augmented with the use of street theater demonstrations and skits. Some Team members felt that there needed to be some method that went beyond the traditional in order to capture the attention of younger minds. The social marketing techniques of HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns could prove useful in this domain.
12. UNMEE should be requested to investigate the possibility and viability of providing increased patrols - daytime and nighttime - along those areas of the border where incidents of looting have been recently reported.