ICC
Humanitarian Update
6 November 2000
ICC
Humanitarian Update
6 November 2000
Updated figures show a
reduction in the number of IDPs in camps. With the recent start of the school
year it has become apparent that some families are moving out of camps in
search of better educational facilities for their children rather than
necessarily returning home. The
peacekeeping mission is expanding, the force commander has arrived and the
first of the 4,200 peacekeepers are expected this month.
Eritrean refugees in Sudan
continue to return home with assistance from UNHCR and ERREC under the
organised repatriation programme. In
the last two weeks since 21 October, 404 persons have returned. The total number of persons to have returned
between 25 July and 4 November 2000, is 25,431 (7,650 families). The gender and age disagregated data is as
follows:
Adult males 15%
Adult females 27%
Males (5-17) 21%
Females (5-17) 20%
Males (0-4)
9%
Females (0-4)
8%
ERREC has updated figures of
IDPs in camps with an overall decrease in the number of IDPs in camps from
217,223 to 201,801 persons. In general,
IDPs are leaving camps to return to their homes or seeking educational
opportunities for their children.
Conversely, there are increases in some camps such as Guluj sub-zone due
to returnees from Sudan or in Zula and Harena due to people fleeing the
occupied area of Senafe. (See below for
details.)
In addition to the 202,000
IDPs in 24 recognised camps, there are an estimated 100,000 IDPs living outside
camps.
In Debub:
·
Two thirds of the population have left Halai camp (Debub). Although residents are from the Senafe area,
a number of families have moved to Adi Keih where there are more educational
opportunities for their children.
·
The figure for Soyra camp has increased (from 20,302 to 29,229) due to
counting of IDPs in surrounding areas who are using camp facilities.
·
The change in figures in Mai Sagla represents a correction in earlier
figures rather than population movements.
·
Salina which has a population of 200 IDPs is no longer recognised as an
official camp by ERREC. IDPs are hosted
in the town of Debarwa and receive food and other relief items.
·
There has been an increase of 1,500 persons in Zula due to arrivals
from the Senafe area.
In Gash-Barka
·
Adi Keshi has reduced by 1,500 as IDPs have moved to the local
community but are still receiving relief items.
·
Sabunait has more than doubled in size from 200 to 500 persons. This is due to returns from Sudan. All four camps in Guluj sub-zone were
evacuated and were re-established after July and the beginning of the organised
repatriation programme.
·
Jejah camp is being relocated to Shelab. The move is to offer income generation initiatives and better
agricultural opportunities. (Jejah is a
camp for rural deportees – resettlement plans were abandoned in May following
the outbreak of hostilities.) ERREC is providing transportation in
co-ordination with partners and the move is expected to be concluded by 11
November. Jejah camp will remain in existence
as a site for potential new IDP movements.
·
There has been a slight increase in Korokon with arrivals from occupied
areas.
·
Koytobia has reduced by almost 5,000 persons to 10,390 as families have
moved out of the camp to more northerly villages in the same sub-zone. IDPs still receive relief assistance at the
camp site.
The annual needs assessment
(ANA) is now underway. The ANA is
divided into two sets of teams, household food economy and non-food. The household food economy teams went out
into the field on 30 October and will be conducting assessments until 30
November. These teams are led by WFP
who conducted training in household food economy methodology in October. The non-food teams will start fieldwork on 4
November for two weeks. The two teams
will liaise in the field and information will be combined for the final report
and ultimately the appeal for 2001.
For the purposes of the ANA
there are six regions corresponding with the Administrative Zones. Each region has one food economy and one
non-food team, therefore there are 12 teams with over 100 persons who will be
conducting assessments throughout Eritrea for the next 2-3 weeks. All teams are made up of multiple agencies
including government representatives, UN agencies and NGOs. The non-food teams are also multi-sectoral.
To support the ANA, the ICC has prepared a CD of existing data (400 files/46 MB) including reports, assessments, tables, map graphics and photographs from a wide range of sources both internal and external of Eritrea. Each regional ANA team has received one copy of the CD. One copy is available in the ICC for reference, however, if there is demand, the ICC will organise to have a larger batch of CDs burnt. Due to the costs involved there will be a charge based on cost-recovery for each CD. If you would like a copy of the CD, please send an email or call the ICC.
ICC
MOVES OFFICES
The ICC moved to the new ERREC offices on 30 October. Due to the lack of space a number of ERREC departments will move to the old Peace Corps offices, located on the same street. Contact details remain the same.
NEW
ERREC COMMISSIONER
As of 1 November, there is a new ERREC Commissioner. Ms Warku Tesfamichiel has been replaced by Ms Hiwet Zemichael formerly of the Ministry of Labour and Human Welfare. The new Commissioner and her deputy are expected to move to the new offices.
Peace talks between Ethiopia and Eritrea which began on 23 October, ended on 27 October. The talks were convened under the auspices of OAU represented by Algeria and in the presence of facilitators from USA, European Union and the UN. A paper outlining possible solutions to outstanding issues was presented and initial comments were made by both delegations but no further meetings were held. As yet, no date has been set for the next round of talks.
Following the deployment of
all UNMEE Military Observers (Phase II) in October, phase III of UNMEE
deployment has begun. The Force
Commander of UNMEE arrived 4 November, Major-General Patrick Cammaert from the
Netherlands who was appointed by UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan. Reconnaissance teams have arrived to prepare
for the arrival of up to 4,200 military personnel as authorised by Security
Council Resolution 1320 (15 September 2000).
Reconnaissance teams will be drawn from military forces of Canada,
Denmark, Italy, Jordan, Kenya and the Netherlands.
To facilitate ongoing UNMEE
operations, four MI8 helicopters have arrived in theatre (area of
operation). The white helicopters will
transport UNMEE personnel, supplies and be available for medivac purposes. When the peacekeeping mission is fully
equipped there will be 12 helicopters in the fleet.
INTER-AGENCY NETWORK ON
INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT
The Senior Inter-Agency Network on Internal Displacement that visited Eritrea, 19 – 21 October, have prepared a report outlining their findings and recommendations. Overall recommendations are:
· the need to plan beyond the provision of relief assistance to war-affected populations to longer-term rehabilitation and reintegration,
·
attention to the special needs of women and children, as well
as host communities,
· the need for humanitarian demining in areas of return, particularly border areas,
· early access for humanitarian actors to the Temporary Security Zone to provide assistance to affected populations there,
· that voluntary repatriations of Ethiopian and Eritrean nationals takes place with ICRC assistance.
Copies
of the report are available at the ICC.
NGO
NEWS
Two international NGOs have
been registered in Eritrea, Concern and Eritrean Development Foundation
(EDF). This brings the total number of
registered INGOs to 34 with 13 national NGOs.
Concern is planning to open an office in Eritrea and begin a country
programme. EDF have a $1.5million
shipment of medicines and other relief items arriving in Eritrea this month.
Advocacy based INGO,
Refugees International, completed a one month visit in October and have
returned to the USA.
The monthly Humanitarian Meeting, scheduled for Friday, 3 November, was cancelled by ERREC due to the Annual Needs Assessment (ANA) and absence of many humanitarian actors and the appointment of a new Commissioner. The meeting has been rescheduled for Friday 24 November, Salem Hotel at 15.00 hours. This date has been chosen as the ANA field work is due to be completed by 19 November and therefore initial observations can be discussed at the meeting.
SECTORAL
WORKING GROUPS (SWG)
Schools are still not
operational in all camps although UNICEF supplies including tents are
available. The MoH has indicated that
additional trucking facilities will be provided to ensure they reach the appropriate
areas as soon as possible.
Discussions are underway to
implement school-feeding programmes.
WFP, MCI and Africare are considering such activities.
The monthly distribution for
October was 25,700 MT, much closer to the monthly target distribution of 28,000
MT and an increase since last month (21,000 MT was distributed in
September). The improvement is linked
to ERREC’s decision at the end of September to acquire additional trucking
through a commercial company.
Food Distributions in
October 2000
The Integrated
Disease Services (a unit in the MoH) in conjunction with WHO, concluded a
one-week country wide assessment in October.
The main objective of the assessment was to measure the performance of
the national disease surveillance system in providing information to enable the
planning and implementation of both prevention and control programmes relating
to communicable diseases. The final
report is currently in draft and contains recommendations for training and
strengthening systems at the community, health facility, zone/zoba and central
level as well as in laboratories.
The Eritrean Community
Development Fund (ECDF) made a presentation of their programmes. ECDF has had an operational savings and
credit programme since 1996 working at the community level.
HALO Trust completed surveys of the 11 sites for UNMEE Military Observers (MILOB) along the Ethiopian/Eritrean border. Until the Temporary Security Zone is determined, HALO Trust will focus on humanitarian minefield surveying in other parts of the country (mainly minefields from previous conflicts).
Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI)
Kerosene distributions have
been ongoing since September. Almost
32,000 households, (IDPs in camps and in the community, rural deportees and
returnees) are benefiting from the UNHCR/ERREC programme. Each household receives 10 litres per month
until the end of 2000. (Kerosene was
identified as a priority need in the ERREC/UNHCR paper ‘Most Urgent Needs for
Shelter and Household Items.’ Other
priority needs remain (in ascending order) clothing, blankets, bed sheets,
stoves and jerry cans.
Although the water supply to
all IDP camps is considered adequate and the construction of latrines is
ongoing, the WatSan SWG is
concerned that attendance at the fortnightly meetings is slipping. All agencies involved in WatSan activities
are urged to attend the meetings and ensure the ongoing co-ordination of programmes.
INFORMATION CO-ORDINATION CENTRE (ICC)
Yemane
Tekleyohannes, ERREC
Tanya
Power-Stevens, OCHA
Tel. 18 51 54 /
18 20 84
Fax. 18 26 44
e-mail: icc@gemel.com.er
