ICC Update

SUMMARY

A General Humanitarian Co-ordination meeting was held on 11 May 2001at Embasoira hotel where ERREC, UN agencies, donors, line ministries, ICRC and NGOs presented priority needs and financial requirements for humanitarian interventions in the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ). Organised voluntary repatriation of Eritrean refugees from the Sudan started on 12 May 2001.

PEACE PROCESS

The sixth Military Co-ordination Commission (MCC) meeting was held in Nairobi, Kenya on 21 May 2001. A number of issues were discussed during the meeting including; the establishment of the TSZ, unburied mortal remains in the TSZ and the deployment of Eritrean Militias and police forces to the TSZ. Agreement was reached to establish three, sector level MCCs to address local security and military concerns. The seventh MCC is scheduled for 27 June 2001. The Compensation Commission met on 14-15 May 2001 at the Hague, Netherlands. Following presentations by both Eritrea and Ethiopia concerning compensation for the expulsion of citizens, violation of accepted conventions during the war and looting the commission requested preparation of written documentation.

RAPID VILLAGE ASSESSMENTS

RVA throughout the TSZ concluded on 01May 2001 in Tsorona sub-zone. A total of 73 villages were assessed in Gash Barka (Western Sector), Debub (central Sector) and the Southern Red Sea Zone (Eastern Sector). The objective of the RVA was to collect base-line data to identify priority needs in the TSZ, and in anticipation of the imminent return of the IDPs. The participants include ERREC and representatives of zonal civil Administration with OCHA, UNDP/Power, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNMEE. Based on the findings the following recommendations are common throughout the TSZ:

· Priority should be given to mine/UXOs clearance

· The Government and the humanitarian community should make every effort to assist IDPs to return with whatever possessions they have with them. Similarly, the re-location of emergency health and education facilities would prove a significant asset in reducing the strain imposed on the damaged infrastructure in the home communities.

· 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

· The provision of seeds, farming tools, Fertilizers and re-stocking of livestock will be necessary in order to assist farmers to recover their livelihood

· Rehabilitation of water supplies and emergency supplies of water where necessary in the interim.

· Schools will require both rehabilitation and the replacement of furniture, blackboards and school materials.

All data from the RVAs has been inputted into a fully searchable database. The database is located at the ICC and interested agencies can visit and use (or copy) the database.

All RVA reports are also available at the ICC in both hard and electronic versions.

POPULATION MOVEMENTS

Exchange of Nationals

1228 civil Ethiopians were voluntarily repatriated under the auspices of ICRC to Ethiopia on 05 May 2001. Six days later another group of 669 civil Ethiopians were also repatriated. Since the peace agreement signed between Ethiopia and Eritrea on 12 December 2000, 1572 civil and 856 POWs Eritreans were repatriated to Eritrea and 15,194 civil and 629 POWs Ethiopians were repatriated to Ethiopia under the auspices of the ICRC.

IDP movement

The organized repatriation of IDPs to their homes is underway. The first movements began in late April with the return of 5,300 IDPs from Mekete to Barentu and its environs (outside the TSZ). ERREC is now also organising the movement of IDPs to areas within the TSZ. The focus of return is currently Debub zone. 7,000 IDPs left Alba, Haineba, and Halai camps along with 4,000 from Jejah camp and have returned to their homes in the TSZ during the first phase of returns. A further 15,596 IDPs from Mai-Sagla, Agrae and Harena camps were repatriated mid May 2001. So far, since Mid-April 33,596 IDPs have been repatriated through organized returns. Spontaneous returns are also ongoing, particularly to Senafe sub-zone.

Repatriation from Sudan

4,389 Eritrean refugees have returned from Sudan since the voluntary repatriation operation began on 12 May. The programee is being attended by ERREC and UNHCR. Ministry of health is providing health care services from the reception centre in Teseney to the home villages. The International Medical Corps is active in providing ambulance convoy escort. The repatriation is continuing smoothly. The first group of the old case refugees is expected to arrive on 27 May 2001. A total of 62,000 Eritrean Refugees are expected to return by the end of 2001.

MINE ACTION

The minefield survey conducted in Debub zone by HALO Trust, Eriterean Demining Agency (EDA) and Dutch church Aid (DCA) ended in April and is continuing in Gash Barka zone. The first group of 120 EDA/ MACC personnel will begin humanitarian demining training at Asha-Golgol training camp on 21 May 2001 to enable them start demaning on 01 July 2001. A remote mine sensing vehicle operated jointly by Mine Tech of Zimbabwe and Tricon of Germany, is now in Asmara. More mine incidents are being reported in recent weeks due to the return of IDPs including four serious injuries in Shelalo (Laelay Gash) and Embasoira. Details are available fro the MACC tel 150444.

HUMANITARIAN CO-ORDINATION

MEETING

A General Humanitarian Co-ordination meeting co-chaired by ERREC and the UN Humanitarian Resident Coordinator was held on 11 May 2001. The meeting, which marked the return to monthly humanitarian meetings, include a brief presentation of humanitarian activities by ERREC and summary reports focusing on the humanitarian situation in the TSZ prepared by each SWG. ERREC called upon members of the humanitarian and donor community to maximize their efforts to address the availability of food aid and other emergency relief provisions, the presence of landmines and recovery assistance for returnees. ERREC also highlighted the ongoing needs for drought-affected populations raising concerns that this beneficiary group is not receiving sufficient attention. Highlights by sector are outlined below.

The full text of the report is available at the ICC

SECTORAL WORKING GROUPS (SWG)

As noted above, SWG made presentations concerning needs in the TSZ during the General Humanitarian Meeting. All reports are available at the ICC

Education

The chair of Education SWG, the Ministry of Education, noted that noted that in collaboration with UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank, other bilateral donors and INGOs has been able to provide basic educational services to the displaced school children in the IDPs camps. However, as the IDPs return to the TSZ, where many education structures have been damaged, new commitments are required totaling some US $6million. Commitments USD $2.5 million have been received from various agencies but an additional US $3.5 million is still required to meet identified priority areas of need benefiting 88,559 (37,346 females) displaced beneficiary school children returning to the TSZ from Gash Barka, Debub, Northern Red Sea, and Southern Red sea. The main strategies of Emergency Education in the TSZ will be:

· To provide education to all by reducing gender, rural and urban and ethnic imbalances.

· To enhancing the capacities of the local education offices and school supervisors in education management and monitoring achievement, there by ensuring teaching and learning process in the affected schools maintain quality education.

· To ensuring community participation and involvement including local authorities at the zone and sub-zonal administration office, ERREC, as well as other stakeholders and development partners in supporting the rehabilitation and reconstruction of schools in the TSZ.

Food Security

The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), chair of the food security SWG, presented its phased programme for the TSZ. The first phase is to enable returnees IDPs to start farming in the up coming rainy season with the provision of seeds, farm tools and fertilizers, estimated at USD $ 9,384,200. The second phase focuses on assistance to horticulture production and cash for work activities targeting horticulturalists who lost their property during displacement last year. The cash for work will be carried out to rehabilitate/ maintain dams, ponds, wells and, soil and water conservation measures and as a means of income to the households. According to preliminary need assessment in Gash Barka and Debub zones 282 water pumps and 23 wells have been destroyed. The MoA indicated that a more in-depth assessment is under way to come up with complete physical and financial requirements.

Regarding the food relief aid for both war and drought affected population resourced and delivered by WFP; current stocks will last until the end of May for the drought-affected beneficiaries and the end of July for war-affected beneficiaries. WFP also noted that their financial requirement for food aid in Eritrea 2001 will reduce by US $23 million due to 30,000 MT carry over from last year and reduced commodity price.

Health

The Ministry of Health (MoH), chair of the health SWG, presented a total requirement of US$10.5 million of which US$8.5 million is required to respond to damage within the health sector in Gash Barka and Debub zones and US$2million to provide emergency health in the interim. Among the health facilities destroyed are five hospitals (three in debub and two in Gash Barka), 15 health centers (3 in Debub and 12 in Gah barka), and 25 health stations (10 in Debub and 15 in Gash Barka). Consequently, health services can only be provided under tents, which are not available yet. The report further mentioned that most of the equipments, furniture and accessories like solar power; generators, water supply and sanitary facilities are either damaged or looted. Finally, MoH requested technical assistance to facilitate reconstruction and rehabilitation work.

Shelter and Non-food Item

The shelter and NFI SWG noted that it had conducted a sample survey in 36 villages in Gash Barka concluding that 44% of the dwellings sustained some level of damage. Although a similar survey has yet to be conducted in Debub,

the same figure of 44% of homes affected by

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damage is also being applied there. As a result, the Shelter and NFI SWG note urgent procurement of emergency shelter costing USD $ 2.1 million and recommended provision of Ronda structures due to.their.durability.and.easy.conversion/improvement to more permanent shelters. The SWG noted that NFI requirements remain the same as outlined within the UN Consolidated Inter-Agency appeal issued in February 2001 (US$ 4.5 million) and the target beneficiaries remain unchanged.

WatSan

The WatSan SWG presented a project proposal that focuses on providing emergency water supply needs and hygiene promotion to benefit 100,000-150,000 returnees to the TSZ and to bring the level of water supply and sanitation services back to normal within six months. The WatSan SWG presented strategies and proposed interventions on priority basis totaling a funding requirement of US $ 2.2 million from donors and humanitarian community.

NGO NEWS

Premiere Urgence, French NGO is currently in Eritrea for project-identifying mission. Premiere Urgence intervenes through operations of emergency aid, rehabilitation, micro-economic revitalisation and development. Premiere Urgence was established in 1992, during the war in former Yugoslavia. It is in Eritrea for a second time since last year as a continuation of its mission.

Please note that CRIC an Italian NGO has moved to TIRAAVOLO Zone 4 Sub-zone 03, Venue 722, house No. 40, tel/fax 181948, e-mail cricer@eol.com.er

SCHEDULE FOR NEXT SWG MEETINGS

Date	SWG	Time	Venue
29.05.2001	Non-food	10:00	ERREC
31.05.2001	Health	15:00	MoH
01.06.2001	WatSan	08:30	WRD
05.06.2001	Food security	16:00	MoA
Education	Will be communicated

For further information relating to the ICC Update please contact ICC Information Officer Sirak Gebrehiwot

Tel: 182923, 185154 or email icc@gemel.com.er