| United Nations | A/50/522 |
General Assembly
Distr. GENERAL
9 October 1995
ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH
Fiftieth session
Agenda item 20 (b)
STRENGTHENING OF THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AND DISASTER
RELIEF ASSISTANCE OF THE UNITED NATIONS, INCLUDING SPECIAL
ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE: SPECIAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUAL
COUNTRIES OR REGIONS
Assistance for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Liberia
Report of the Secretary-General
CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
I. INTRODUCTION .........................................1 - 123
II. SUPPORT FOR THE PEACE PROCESS ........................13 - 275
A. Assistance for peace monitoring .................. 13 - 245
B. Initiatives for rehabilitation, reconstruction and
national reconciliation .......................... 25 - 277
III. SECTORAL REVIEW OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES 28 - 748
A. Food and nutrition ............................... 28 - 348
B. Agriculture ...................................... 35 - 369
C. Health and medical care .......................... 37 - 459
D. Water and sanitation ............................. 46 - 5311
95-30345 (E) 231095/...
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CONTENTS (continued)
Paragraphs Page
E. Education and training ........................... 54 - 5912
F. Specific target groups ........................... 60 - 7413
IV. ASSISTANCE BY MEMBER STATES AND OTHER DONORS .........75 - 8516
V. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS ..............................86 - 8918
I. INTRODUCTION
1. In its resolution 49/21 E of 20 December 1994, the General Assembly,
inter alia, called upon the international community and intergovernmental
organizations to provide Liberia with technical, financial and other
assistance for the repatriation and resettlement of Liberian refugees,
returnees and displaced persons and for the rehabilitation of combatants.
2. The Assembly also appealed to the international community and
intergovernmental organizations to provide adequate assistance to
programmes identified in the report of the Secretary-General on assistance
for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Liberia (A/49/466), including
the preparation of a new appeal for humanitarian assistance to cover
emergency assistance needs and to support the peace process.
3. In the same resolution, the Assembly reiterated its appeal to the
international community to contribute generously to the Trust Fund
established by the Secretary-General, in order to enable the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) to
fulfil its mandate and to help defray the cost of deployment of additional
troops from outside the subregion.
4. The Assembly also requested the Secretary-General to continue his
efforts to coordinate the work of the United Nations system and to mobilize
assistance for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Liberia; to
undertake, when conditions permit, in close collaboration with the
authorities of Liberia, an overall assessment of needs, with the objective
of holding, when appropriate, a round-table conference of donors for the
rehabilitation and reconstruction of Liberia; and to report to the General
Assembly at its fiftieth session on the implementation of the resolution.
5. The present report describes activities carried out in Liberia since
the issuance of the previous report of the Secretary-General (A/49/466) in
October 1994. Information on assistance to Liberian refugees in the
neighbouring countries will be incorporated in a separate report of the
Secretary-General in accordance with General Assembly resolution 49/174 of
23 December 1994.
6. During the past year, most United Nations efforts have been directed
towards supporting the peace process in Liberia, delivering humanitarian
assistance to victims of civil conflict, providing for the emergency needs
of displaced persons and, where possible, continuing rehabilitation
activities. United Nations agencies as well as national and international
non-governmental organizations were all active in the relief effort, with
overall coordination provided by the United Nations Resident Coordinator.
Priorities included: (a) regaining access to civilian populations in areas
controlled by factions; (b) preparing a new appeal for humanitarian
assistance requirements; (c) meeting the emergency needs of newly displaced
populations; and (d) developing a cohesive and shared strategy to meet the
needs of the greatest possible number of affected civilians.
7. In September 1994, humanitarian assistance organizations operating
outside ECOMOG-controlled areas suffered serious losses when much of their
equipment was looted by warring factions. The immediate effect was the
cessation of virtually all relief activities outside the greater Monrovia
and Buchanan areas. Repeated efforts by the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General and by individual United Nations agencies and non-
governmental organizations to have their equipment and materials returned
were unsuccessful.
8. The looting of humanitarian assistance materials was said to have been
reflective of a breakdown in the control exercised by faction leaders over
their fighters. In addition to severely restricting the geographic scope
of relief efforts, the violence and heightened insecurity that accompanied
the looting forced tens of thousands of civilians to seek refuge in
Monrovia and Buchanan, increasing the population of displaced persons in
both cities significantly. Continued fighting during 1995, notably between
the Liberia Peace Council (LPC) and the National Patriotic Front of Liberia
(NPFL) and between rival branches of the United Liberation Movement for
Democracy (ULIMO), resulted in further large-scale population displacements
and prevented humanitarian assistance agencies from helping those civilians
unable to flee the affected areas.
9. In June 1995, the reach of humanitarian assistance activities increased
somewhat when ECOMOG secured the roads northeast from Monrovia to Kakata
and Bong Town, and north and west from Monrovia to Tubmanburg and Bo. The
newly secured roads allowed for preliminary deliveries of relief supplies
from Monrovia to affected areas. A study undertaken by Medecins sans
frontieres (MSF)-Belgium, Save the Children Fund (SCF)-United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the European Union during the
period of increased access gave an indication of the seriousness of the
plight of the population. The study in upper Margibi and lower Bong
counties revealed global and severe malnutrition rates of 56 per cent and
42 per cent, respectively, illustrating the effects on the population of
being cut off from sustained assistance of any sort.
10. By September 1995, United Nations agencies and non-governmental
organizations were working to benefit from the road openings by expanding
operations into those areas where they could be provided with credible
security guarantees. In addition, a number of humanitarian assistance
organizations continued to deliver relief supplies from Cote d'Ivoire into
Nimba and Bong counties, and sporadically from Guinea into upper Lofa
county.
11. While maintaining a division of labour based on mandate and expertise,
the humanitarian agencies operating in Liberia adopted a number of shared
operating principles and protocols to serve as the basis for their
respective operations. The principles and protocols, developed under the
auspices of the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator with the
assistance of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations
Secretariat, emphasize the impartiality of humanitarian assistance work and
the importance of operating in a coordinated manner.
12. It is estimated that 1.8 million Liberians require humanitarian
assistance, of whom 1.5 million are currently accessible to relief
organizations. Though the plausible security guarantees required for a
rapid expansion of relief activities have not yet been secured, a number of
gains have been made, particularly the opening of the roads from Monrovia.
II. SUPPORT FOR THE PEACE PROCESS
A. Assistance for peace monitoring
13. In addition to providing humanitarian assistance to Liberia since the
inception of the crisis, the United Nations has undertaken a series of
initiatives to promote the peaceful settlement of the conflict. This
included the fielding of the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia
(UNOMIL) following the signing of the Cotonou Agreement in July 1993. 1/
14. In November 1994, pursuant to Security Council resolution 950 (1994)
of 21 October 1994, the Secretary-General dispatched a high-level mission
to Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone to
explore avenues for advancing the peace process. The mission concluded,
inter alia, that it was of central importance that ECOWAS members harmonize
their policies on Liberia. Deliberations at Accra in November and December
and the signing by factions of the Accra Agreement on 21 December 1994 2/
signified progress in the peace process.
15. In a further effort to consolidate peace, the Third Meeting of Heads
of State and Government of the ECOWAS Committee of Nine on Liberia was
convened at Abuja from 17 to 20 May 1995. The meeting stressed the
importance of enforcing the arms embargo established by the Security
Council in its resolution 788 (1992) of 19 November 1992, and monitoring
the cease-fire agreement signed by factions on 28 December 1994. The Abuja
summit was followed by bilateral consultations in the Nigerian capital
between Nigerian officials and a number of faction leaders.
16. Mr. Anthony Nyaki succeeded Mr. Trevor Gordon-Somers as Special
Representative of the Secretary-General in January 1995. Mr. Nyaki began
consultations with Governments in the region to determine how best the
United Nations could complement ECOWAS efforts to achieve peace. As a
result of these consultations and consistent with the conclusions of the
ECOWAS meeting held at Abuja in May 1995, Mr. Nyaki regularized the
activities of the cease-fire monitoring committee, a representational body
assembled to investigate allegations of cease-fire violations.
17. Despite these developments, the peace process continued to encounter
serious problems. Fighting continued in many areas of the country,
preventing the extension of Government jurisdiction and the initiation of
comprehensive rehabilitation and resettlement schemes. By its resolution
1001 (1995) of 30 June 1995, the Security Council established four
conditions for the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Observer
Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) beyond 15 September 1995: (a) installation of
the Council of State; (b) re-establishment of a comprehensive and effective
cease-fire; (c) disengagement of all forces; and (d) establishment of an
agreed timetable for the implementation of all other aspects of the peace
agreements.
18. In July, two meetings were held at Monrovia between Liberian parties
as a follow-up to the Abuja summit. The first meeting, held from 13 to 17
July, was sponsored by the Women's Groups of Liberia. The second meeting,
facilitated by ECOWAS, the Government of Nigeria, the Special
Representative of the SecretaryGeneral and the Carter Center, was held from
19 to 23 July.
19. These consultations resulted, inter alia, in the adoption of a
resolution endorsing a six-member Council of State and reaffirming the
factions' commitment to disarmament, the creation of safe havens and the
reopening of roads and ports. The parties also discussed the issue of
power-sharing between the two wings of the United Liberation Movement of
Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO) and decided to establish a technical
committee to facilitate an agreement between them.
20. The Chairman of ECOWAS convened a meeting of the factions at Abuja
from 16 to 19 August, which culminated in the signing by the Liberian
parties of an agreement 3/ amending and supplementing the Cotonou and
Akosombo Agreements, as subsequently clarified by the Accra Agreement. The
Abuja Agreement provided for and resulted in the establishment of a
comprehensive cease-fire on 26 August 1995 and a new six-member Council of
State, which was installed on 1 September 1995. The new Council would
remain in power for a period of one year, until the holding of elections on
20 August 1996. The Agreement also included a schedule of implementation
and a formula for the distribution of government posts, which the parties
have implemented.
21. The new Council of State held its first session immediately after its
installation on 1 September. Reports indicate that the new transitional
government enjoys the full support of all the key political leaders of
Liberia, as well as the population at large.
22. The Council of State has already announced new appointments to the
Cabinet and assigned oversight responsibilities for Ministries, autonomous
agencies and public corporations to Council members. Nominations to the
Supreme Court have also been made, and consultations are under way to fill
the few remaining posts in the Transitional Legislative Assembly and the
Electoral Commission.
23. On 4 September, the Cease-fire Violations Committee, chaired by
UNOMIL, met to review with the factions plans for monitoring the cease-fire
and the implementation of the other provisions of the peace agreement,
including disarmament and demobilization. A Disarmament Committee, chaired
by ECOMOG, has also been established to draw up plans for the disengagement
of forces, disarmament and the exchange of prisoners of war.
24. With the conclusion of the Abuja Agreement, the entry into force of
the cease-fire and the installation of the Council of State, plans are
being prepared for the further expansion of UNOMIL. UNOMIL was invited to
attend the ECOWAS Chiefs of Staff Meeting held at Accra on 4 and 5
September to work out the modalities for the implementation of the military
aspects of the Abuja Agreement. The international community, in particular
the United Nations, was urgently requested to support ECOMOG and the
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of combatants. It was
strongly felt that failure to focus on the requirements of combatants could
adversely affect the peace process, and that the momentum generated by the
Abuja Agreement should be maintained.
B. Initiatives for rehabilitation, reconstruction and
national reconciliation
25. During the reporting period, the food-for-work and institution
strengthening activities of the World Food Programme (WFP) increased by 100
per cent. The WFP emergency school feeding programme was expanded to cover
550 schools in Montserrado, Margibi and Buchanan, reaching a total of
182,000 school children. Food-for-work incentives were also provided to
teachers and support staff in schools and orphanages, as well as medical
and support staff in clinics and hospitals. In addition, the National
Volunteer Programme, which was established to support the reintegration of
ex-combatants into civil society through food-for-work schemes, benefited
1,800 demobilized fighters before its suspension in early 1995.
26. In the agricultural sector, five pipeline projects of the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations were approved for 1995 and
are now under way. They are aimed at improving food security through
cassava production and processing, distribution of seeds and tools,
training in extension methods and development of artisanal fisheries. FAO
is also planning sectoral review and crop assessment missions, for which
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funding has been earmarked.
The missions will provide a basis for the rehabilitation and reconstruction
plan to be formulated in collaboration with UNDP and the Government.
Efforts are also under way to develop a sustainable food security strategy.
FAO is also planning a review of current agricultural statistics in order
to facilitate the distribution of farm inputs as access increases.
27. In anticipation of the longer-term rehabilitation of Liberia's
education sector, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) and UNDP have worked with the Ministry of Education
and local and international non-governmental organizations to develop "A
Basic Education and Training Sector Reconstruction Programme (1995-2000)".
The programme will focus on the rehabilitation of primary and secondary
schools and Learning Centres, which will provide non-formal basic
education; upgrading the skills of staff members from the Ministry of
Education and county education offices; decentralization of
responsibilities to the grass-roots or county level; improvement of
curricula; and restructuring of the existing education systems.
III. SECTORAL REVIEW OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES
A. Food and nutrition
28. During the period under review, WFP and other relief agencies,
particularly Catholic Relief Services (CRS), addressed emergency relief
food needs in all accessible areas of Liberia. Food commodities provided
were rice, bulgur wheat, corn soya blend, beans and vegetable oil. In
1994, more than 87,000 metric tons of relief food was distributed. WFP
provided 60 per cent of the food, CRS provided 30 per cent and other
organizations, including Save the Children Fund, provided the remaining 10
per cent.
29. Food commodities are shipped to Monrovia and to San Pedro (Cote
d'Ivoire), where they are directly delivered to designated non-governmental
organizations, including the Lutheran World Service/Lutheran World
Federation (LWS/LWF), at regional warehouses. Internal transport, storage
and handling costs are met by WFP. Field distribution of WFP and most CRS
food commodities is performed by several national and international non-
governmental organizations at more than 1,500 distribution points.
30. During the first six months of 1994, the level of food distribution in
Liberia increased from 6,250 metric tons to an average of 7,600 metric
tons, as the security situation allowed for the expansion of relief
distribution into Nimba, Bong and Bomi counties. In Bomi and Cape Mount
counties, emergency distribution was possible only in a few towns secured
by ECOMOG. In areas occupied by the NPFL, WFP organized 28 cross-line
convoys from Monrovia carrying a total of 6,000 metric tons between January
and August 1994. Over the same period, non-governmental organizations
dispatched 25 convoys carrying a total of 1,400 metric tons of food. A
total of 17 metric tons was also delivered across the border to Ganta and
Gbarnga from Cote d'Ivoire, in order to meet the emergency food aid needs
of approximately 425,000 beneficiaries. During that same period, 850
metric tons of emergency relief food were also delivered to Maryland
county, from Tabou, Cote d'Ivoire.
31. From September 1994 onward, delivery of food aid to those areas
outside ECOMOG control was largely suspended, following a renewed outbreak
of fighting and the theft of large amounts of property from relief
organizations as described above. Distribution of emergency food aid
continued, however, in Montserrado, lower Margibi and lower Grand Bassa
counties for a case-load of 1.3 million persons, including 830,000
displaced. Fighting in areas outside ECOMOG control continued to displace
Liberians into Monrovia and its environs, Harbel and Smell-No-Taste in
lower Margibi county and Buchanan in Grand Bassa county. WFP and CRS
carried out monthly food distributions of approximately 2,500 metric tons
to 35 centres for displaced persons in those areas.
32. General distribution of emergency food aid in Monrovia is carried out
three times per year. Approximately 9,000 metric tons of relief food is
distributed to 900,000 beneficiaries, based on an established system of
registered beneficiaries per household unit. This general distribution
will be phased out during 1995 in favour of targeted feeding.
33. The overall case-load for emergency food aid in Liberia for 1995 is
1.5 million persons, including 100,000 Sierra Leonean refugees. The
standard ration for displaced persons and refugees, as recommended by WFP
and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR), remains at 200 grams of cereal per person per day. In rural
areas, the daily ration includes 60 grams of pulse and in urban areas, 25
grams of oil. The normal ration is supplemented with 100 grams of cereal
and 125 grams of corn soya blend for vulnerable groups.
34. Ongoing fighting and the consequent population displacement seriously
reduced agricultural activities in 1994 and the first nine months of 1995.
Agricultural populations in Bong, Nimba, Lofa, Bassa, Cape Mount and Bomi
counties were displaced and prevented from planting. As a result, WFP has
projected a continued need for emergency food aid for 1996 in the Liberia
Regional Protracted Operation (covering Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra
Leone and Guinea), more than 80 per cent of whose beneficiaries are
Liberian.
B. Agriculture
35. During the reporting period, FAO activities were focused on the
acquisition and distribution of farming inputs to increase household food
security for accessible agricultural communities. FAO also provided
displaced persons, ex-combatants and, in some cases, refugees with seed
rice, vegetable seeds and farm tools through its Technical Assistance
Programme and contributions from the European Community. In collaboration
with non-governmental organizations, FAO was able to distribute vegetable
seeds and farm tools to 50,000 farming families in Montserrado, Grand Bassa
and Margibi counties.
36. FAO's collaborating partners include the non-governmental
organizations Africare, CRS and LWS, as well as a number of local non-
governmental organizations. International non-governmental organizations
have played an instrumental role in the agricultural sector by providing
vegetable and rice seeds and tools to targeted populations.
C. Health and medical care
37. Efforts to rehabilitate the health sector continue through the
collaboration of the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Ministry of Health and national and
international non-governmental organizations. During the reporting period,
the inaccessibility of many parts of the country limited the delivery of
health sector services and reduced the number of functioning health
centres. Thanks to recent improvements in security, agencies working in
the health sector have begun rebuilding the shattered health infrastructure
in Bong and Cape Mount counties. They have also continued to provide
curative and preventative health care in all accessible areas.
38. Increased displacement and overcrowded living conditions have further
increased the population's vulnerability to epidemic diseases. Malaria
continues to be a problem of major concern as it is the leading cause of
morbidity and mortality in all age groups. WHO, UNICEF and other
organizations active in the health sector have initiated several community-
based malaria control programmes.
39. The incidence of diarrhoeal diseases and acute respiratory infections
is also high, particularly for young children. WHO and UNICEF are
expanding programmes for control of diarrhoea diseases, particularly in
Monrovia and Buchanan. UNICEF is also supporting the establishment of an
organized programme for acute respiratory infections by providing essential
drugs to all mothers and child health clinics in Monrovia. This drug
supply is supplemented by WHO. The results of three Expanded Immunization
Programme (EPI) surveys conducted in accessible areas show a steady
increase in immunization coverage for children under one year old.
40. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has also become a serious
health problem. At the end of 1993, surveillance data indicated that about
5 per cent of persons surveyed (mainly from Monrovia) were seropositive.
In 1994, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence studies were
undertaken on selected populations in accessible areas and 12 new cases
were reported. As at December 1994, 44 cases of AIDS were reported for
Liberia. The National AIDS Programme, largely supported by WHO, continues
to focus on public awareness activities, training, condom distribution and
blood-safety examination.
41. WHO is also sponsoring programmes to combat other diseases, especially
epilepsy and onchocerciasis (river blindness). The beneficiaries of the
river blindness and epilepsy programmes number about 1,500 and 150
respectively. Along with several non-governmental organizations and UNICEF,
WHO participated in the control of the cholera outbreak between July and
November 1994 by providing US$ 6,000 worth of intravenous fluids and by
supporting an information campaign.
42. To combat psycho-social ailments, WHO facilitated the opening of the
only mental health facility in the country. This facility provides
psychiatric care for patients and consultative services to the J. F.
Kennedy Hospital and to various non-governmental organizations engaged in
programme support to young people (including UNICEF-supported programmes
for abused women and girls; the Children's Assistance Programme; Don Bosco
homes; and the work of the non-governmental organization Liberians United
Against Drug Abuse).
43. The supply of medical drugs in Liberia is being addressed by the
National Drug Service (NDS) which is supported by UNICEF. NDS provides
essential drugs, equipment, other medical supplies and training for medical
personnel. There were 70 health facilities supported by NDS as of mid-
1995. An NDS sub-station located in Grand Bassa county serves the
increasing number of non-governmental organizations and health facilities
operating in that area. In addition, a recent contribution of US$ 140,000
from the Government of the United States of America will allow for the
provision of essential drugs and medical supplies to help control malaria
and diarrhoeal and respiratory infections in camps for displaced persons,
refugee centres and recently accessible areas of western Liberia. This
contribution will also allow for resettlement of health workers to their
original places of work for at least six months, and provide direct support
to victims of the conflict.
44. Community mobilization and health education, training of traditional
birth attendants and family planning and child survival programmes have
also begun in Bomi and Cape Mount counties. An initial 207 cycles of oral
contraceptives were provided to health centres and five kits to two groups
of traditional birth attendants in targeted camps. WHO will work with a
local non-governmental organization to train 52 traditional birth
attendants in Tubmanburg. Locally made kits for traditional birth
attendants will be provided upon completion of the training from emergency
funds donated by the Government of the United Kingdom.
45. The WHO programme for the remainder of 1995 foresees, inter alia,
provision of basic health services to approximately 1.3 million persons in
ECOMOGcontrolled areas. This includes populations in Monrovia and its
environs, as well as displaced persons in Buchanan, Harbel and the recently
accessible areas in Bomi and Cape Mount counties.
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D. Water and sanitation
46. The provision of safe drinking water and improvement of general
sanitation continue to be among the more critical needs to be met in
Liberia. The situation is being addressed through the collaborative
efforts of UNICEF and non-governmental organizations, principally MSF-
Belgium, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Action
internationale contre la faim (AICF) and the African Muslim Agency (AMA).
47. Prior to the civil war, approximately 90 per cent of the population of
Monrovia relied on the supply of treated pipe water from the White Plains
water treatment plant. During clashes in October 1992, the treatment plant
was extensively damaged. Following repairs undertaken with the assistance
of UNICEF, the plant resumed operations in late 1993. Since then, the
plant has been supplying about one third of the population of Monrovia.
48. From a country-wide perspective, the general situation has not
dramatically improved during the reporting period. This is partly
attributable to the renewed fighting and heightened insecurity that struck
many parts of the country, making them inaccessible for relief operations.
Currently, a significant portion of the population is being serviced by
natural sources and the 350 shallow and hand-dug wells equipped with hand
pumps constructed by UNICEF and international non-governmental
organizations, including MSF-Belgium, AICF and AMA. UNICEF continues to
provide regular maintenance and spare parts for these hand pumps and
closely monitors the delivery of emergency water supplies to hospitals,
clinics, orphanages and one shelter for displaced persons.
49. In support of the Monrovia shallow wells programme, UNICEF is
conducting mass well chlorination campaigns to reduce the incidence of
diarrhoeal disease. Under the campaigns conducted in 1994 and January 1995,
approximately 4,800 open and protected wells were chlorinated. Information
on self-chlorination using locally available household bleach is also being
disseminated to communities to further control water-borne diseases.
Initial surveillance reports show that the chlorination intervention has
been effective, and therefore two additional mass chlorination campaigns
are planned for 1995.
50. In the absence of a functional government body responsible for rural
water supply and sanitation, UNICEF assistance is implemented through local
non-governmental organizations and communities. In 1994, UNICEF water and
sanitation programmes in the rural areas resulted in the rehabilitation of
160 hand pumps and the construction of 18 hand-dug wells equipped with hand
pumps, 4 group latrines at schools and health centres and 36 family
latrines. Currently, security conditions in the rural areas have reduced
UNICEF chlorination activities. In peri-urban areas, 22 hand-dug wells
equipped with hand pumps and 38 family latrines were provided along with
health and hygiene education. UNICEF intervention in the water and
sanitation sector has reached about 60,000 beneficiaries in the rural and
peri-urban communities.
51. UNICEF is also implementing sanitation activities at shelters for
displaced persons in Monrovia and Buchanan. In 1994, in collaboration with
local non-governmental organizations and shelter sanitation groups, a total
of 19 shelter latrines and 13 hand-dug wells equipped with pumps were
constructed. In addition, 28 shelter latrines were de-sludged continuously
to maintain sanitary conditions. To improve the efficiency of this
activity, UNICEF has purchased a small sewage truck.
52. Owing to the increase in the number of displaced persons arriving in
Buchanan, beginning in February 1995, and the acute shortage of water
during the dry season, UNICEF gave support to AICF in providing emergency
water supply for new arrivals. UNICEF is also supporting the health and
hygiene education programme at 12 shelters for displaced persons through a
local non-governmental organization by disseminating messages on diarrhoeal
control, personal hygiene, breast-feeding and EPI.
53. UNDP, through its emergency project, plans to support a micro-project
intended to upgrade 25 of the existing wells which are in poor condition in
Tubmanburg. UNICEF, through HOPE, a local non-governmental organization,
plans to construct eight new wells and rehabilitate two existing wells.
WHO and the United Nations Office for Project Services are collaborating to
protect five wells to help control diarrhoeal disease at Bo, where 35,000
displaced persons and refugees are concentrated.
E. Education and training
54. The previous report indicated that education opportunities were
available in many counties. The renewed hostilities have wiped out the
gains made in this domain. There are now only a few schools in operation
outside Monrovia, in areas controlled by ECOMOG.
55. In Monrovia, 554 schools are functional, though many are handicapped
by shortage of supplies and equipment. Large numbers of schools have been
burnt down and looted, while others are being used as shelters for the
displaced. In rural Liberia, the fighting in September 1994 in and around
Gbarnga reportedly left the few remaining schools in that area damaged and
looted.
56. In collaboration with WFP and several non-governmental
organizations, UNICEF has initiated a feeding programme and free
distribution of school supplies. These activities are designed to
encourage schoolchildren and teachers to return to schools. In areas where
people can afford to pay the minimum fees for school supplies, UNICEF
supports a local non-governmental organization, Christian Related Education
Development Organization (CREDO), in the implementation of a revolving fund
project for school supplies and equipment. In Monrovia, 400 schools
benefit from the fund. About 300 schools in other areas of the country
participate in the revolving fund.
57. UNICEF is funding teacher training workshops to cover areas such as
the development and improvement of the core curriculum for elementary and
junior high schools, war trauma, educational psychology, lesson planning,
production of educational materials, coping with stress and related topics.
58. UNICEF and CREDO facilitated the reopening of the Buchanan curriculum
materials centre by providing educational supplies and equipment. The
centre, which was closed down two years ago as a result of the war, caters
to about 58 schools with an enrolment of 20,000 students and 500 teachers
in the city of Buchanan. The Salesian Fathers of Don Bosco undertook a
one-year literacy project for street children in Monrovia funded by UNICEF.
Five hundred children participated in the programme. The Salesian Fathers
are also managing a children's transit home facility serving 112 children.
An additional 47 children benefit from a street literacy programme on
Benson Street in central Monrovia. Don Bosco has also introduced a courier
service meant to provide employment opportunities for young people who have
recently been reunited with their families.
59. Additionally, UNICEF and the New Breed Painters Association (a local
artists' group in Monrovia) are implementing a children's art and music
project at three shelters for displaced persons. A mobile school library
project is also being implemented by LWS on behalf of UNICEF. The two
projects are benefiting a total of 1,350 children.
F. Specific target groups
1. Refugees
60. At the end of 1994, UNHCR was providing protection and assistance to
794,000 Liberian refugees in neighbouring west African countries. In
Liberia itself, the office also continues to provide assistance to refugees
from Sierra Leone as well as to Liberian returnees and some 100,000
internally displaced persons. The deteriorating security situation in
Liberia has limited the assistance provided to refugees and returnees to
areas controlled by ECOMOG.
61. While no large-scale organized repatriation of Liberian refugees took
place during the reporting period, spontaneous repatriation continued
despite the volatile political situation. In 1994, UNHCR assisted 6,700
spontaneous returnees, the majority from Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire. In
1995, the security situation in neighbouring asylum countries, particularly
Sierra Leone, has caused more Liberian refugees to repatriate. By the end
of May 1995, UNHCR in Monrovia had received 4,123 returnees from Sierra
Leone. It is expected that this trend will continue.
62. The security situation has also blocked the implementation of plans
for reintegration and rehabilitation activities. It is hoped that, with
the extended deployment of ECOMOG along the roads to Tubmanburg, Bong Mine
and Kakata, UNHCR will be able to introduce quick impact projects for
returnees, as well as participate in community rehabilitation projects with
other relief agencies. Such projects will benefit refugees, returnees and
internally displaced persons. A planning figure of 35,000 refugees has
been established for the UNHCR repatriation programme and related
reintegration activities. This will be reviewed regularly to take account
of the evolution of the political situation.
63. Of an estimated 120,000 refugees from Sierra Leone residing in
Liberia, UNHCR currently assists 25,000 on a regular basis and another
35,000 when security permits. The remaining 60,000 refugees in upper Lofa
have been cut off from any relief activities since December 1993. A joint
assessment mission to upper Lofa in August 1994 reported widespread
malnutrition and a deteriorating health situation. It is also reported
that agricultural activities in the area had been curtailed and most social
and administrative infrastructure destroyed.
2. Internally displaced persons
64. Fighting in a number of locations during the reporting period
increased the number of internally displaced persons in Liberia to over
800,000. This group is often the hardest hit among war-affected
populations. Forced to flee with few or no belongings and without the
unique international status of refugees, displaced persons must be provided
with basic survival needs. In Liberia, an inter-agency effort has allowed
for improvement in the delivery of relief items to this vulnerable group.
65. Those displaced persons who are absorbed by local populations receive
food aid from WFP or CRS and benefit from the multisectoral programmes of a
number of United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations. The
nearly 600,000 displaced persons who have sought refuge in 91 camps in
secure areas of the country also benefit from an agreed division of labour
among United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and local
officials. The United Nations Office of Project Services, UNICEF, UNHCR,
WFP, CRS, SCF-United Kingdom, AICF, MSF-Belgium, MSF-France and MSF-Holland
are each involved in supporting displaced shelters in their respective
areas of specialty.
66. In order to respond to the sudden large influxes of displaced persons
that occurred in early 1995, the United Nations Resident Coordinator
established a number of emergency task forces. Emergency task forces for
Buchanan and Tubmanburg both sought to ensure an appropriate division of
labour among relief agencies in order to provide a rapid and effective
response to these sudden influxes.
3. Children in difficult circumstances
67. Children in difficult circumstances are assisted by UNICEF directly
and through UNICEF-supported networks of local and international non-
governmental organizations. The programme for children in especially
difficult circumstances offers social and counselling services, as well as
material assistance to orphanages and institutions caring for abandoned,
displaced and refugee children. Tracing the families of unaccompanied
children and reuniting them are top priorities for UNICEF. In 1994, 95
children in Monrovia were reunited with their families; 30 reunited
children received US$ 6.00 each to cover initial tuition, uniform cost and
copy book expenses, while 29 others received resettlement packages,
including food and non-food items.
68. UNICEF also supports 2,000 orphaned and abandoned children in Gbarnga
and Monrovia. Hundreds of these orphans are now trapped in battle zones.
UNICEF provides basic maintenance to allow orphanages to continue
operating, as well providing food supplements, beds, blankets, clothes,
soap and other basic relief items.
69. The continued fighting in Liberia has intensified the severe war
trauma suffered by children. In response to this phenomenon, UNICEF is
currently implementing a war trauma counsellors' training project at the
American Methodist Episcopalian (AME) Zion Community College in Monrovia.
By the end of July 1995, the project had trained 133 counsellors. The
College will eventually develop a full trauma research and documentation
institution.
70. In addition, UNICEF has finalized a treatment and rehabilitation plan
to assist 275 disabled children. Most of the children are between the ages
of 7 and 15 and are affected by polio. The Benedict Menni Rehabilitation
Centre for Children, which was destroyed in the war, has been rebuilt and
is serving as a referral centre for physically handicapped children. The
orthopaedic workshop of the Centre has been renovated and is manufacturing
artificial limbs. Training of physiotherapy and orthopaedic assistants has
also begun. A nine-month physiotherapy training with 10 trainees, 5 of
them females, has just ended. In addition, a mobile unit assesses injuries
and disabilities in rural areas. At the beginning of 1995, UNICEF began
extending the services to young adults, especially young women.
71. UNICEF is also offering over 300 street children and former child
combatants vocational and agricultural training coupled with a literacy
programme and food assistance. When security permits, UNICEF plans to
establish similar vocational/literacy training centres in Kakata, Gbarnga,
Klay and Voinjama for some 6,000 child soldiers who are expected to
demobilize in those areas.
4. The elderly
72. The plight of elderly displaced persons continues to be the special
concern of a local non-governmental organization, Special Emergency Relief
for the Elderly (SERE). With assistance from UNDP, other United Nations
agencies and a number of non-governmental organizations, SERE is able to
provide this forgotten vulnerable group with shelter and basic needs in
food, health, water and sanitation.
5. Abused women and girls
73. Evidence continues to indicate that the Liberian conflict involves a
high incidence of rape and sexual abuse. UNICEF, in collaboration with the
National Women's Council of Liberia, has established centres for abused
women and girls in Monrovia and Buchanan. There are plans to extend the
centres to Tubmanburg and Gbarnga. The centres, referred to as "My
Sister's Place", offer trauma counselling, medical and legal services, sex
education, HIV/AIDS counselling and income-generation training. In
addition to counselling at the centres, mobile teams visit shelters for
displaced persons and offer services. To date, 28,000 abused women have
been reached through direct counselling centres for displaced persons both
in Monrovia and Buchanan. In response to the influx of displaced persons
into Buchanan in early 1995, UNICEF increased the number of female trauma
counsellors working with the population, 70 per cent of which is women and
children.
74. Women and girls also benefit from UNDP assistance in the development
of micro-enterprises. Currently, out of 838 micro-enterprises, 65 per cent
are owned by women and girls, some of whom fall in the above target group.
This income-generation scheme helps to decrease dependence on food aid.
IV. ASSISTANCE BY MEMBER STATES AND OTHER DONORS
75. The humanitarian assistance effort in Liberia has relied on
contributions from the international community - both bilateral and
multilateral - in response to several appeals issued by the Secretary-
General since 1990. Contributions for the period from November 1990 to
December 1994 amounted to US$ 232.4 million.
76. In January 1995, the Secretary-General issued an inter-agency appeal
seeking US$ 65 million in assistance for the period through June 1995. The
appeal was later extended to the end of August 1995. As of 30 August 1995,
contributions of US$ 53 million had been made to this most recent appeal.
In addition, US$ 7.7 million is known to have been contributed for
humanitarian assistance to Liberia outside the framework of the appeal,
bilaterally, through non-governmental organizations or directly through
United Nations agencies. As has traditionally been the case, the response
to food sector requirements of the most recent appeal has been excellent.
Support for non-food-sector activities, while improved from the last
appeal, remains relatively weak.
77. On 4 October, the Secretary-General issued a further inter-agency
appeal for Liberia. The appeal covers the period from September 1995 to
August 1996 and seeks US$ 110 million required by United Nations
humanitarian assistance agencies to carry out their work in Liberia.
Activities reflected in the appeal are designed to address the acute
humanitarian crises that continue to affect Liberia, as well as to provide
essential services in the war-ravaged country. Wherever possible, the
appeal looks beyond the short term and seeks to initiate programmes with a
longer-term view, emphasizing community-level initiatives.
78. On 27 October, the Secretary-General will take additional action in
support of the peace process by convening a meeting of Member States to
address Liberia's rehabilitation, reconstruction and demobilization
requirements.
79. By its resolution 49/21 E of 20 December 1994, the General Assembly
reiterated its appeal to the international community and intergovernmental
organizations to contribute generously to the Trust Fund established by the
Secretary-General, in order to enable ECOMOG to fulfil its mandate and to
help defray the cost of deployment of additional troops from outside the
subregion. Response to this appeal continues to be weak. The Government of
the United States is the only significant contributor, with a commitment of
approximately US$ 22.2 million to the Trust Fund as of 13 September 1995.
Other contributions include US$ 1 million from the United Kingdom, US$
294,616 from Denmark, US$ 291,056 from Norway and US$ 261,584 from the
Netherlands.
80. On 8 May 1995, the Secretary-General invited Member States and other
donors to provide information on assistance extended to Liberia in the
framework of General Assembly resolution 49/21 E. Replies were received
from the following States.
Finland
81. Finland contributed 1 million markkaa to Liberia in 1995 through
UNICEF.
Germany
82. Humanitarian assistance provided to Liberia by the Government of
Germany was as follows:
Year Amount (deutsche mark)
1992 364,900
1993 1,705,835
1994 1,001,322
1995 567,000 (as of 6 July 1995)
83. In addition, in 1995, Germany has sponsored rehabilitation and
development projects in the amount of 2.5 million deutsche mark.
Ireland
84. Ireland contributed 50,000 Irish pounds for programmes in Liberia
during 1995, including 35,000 pounds for displaced Liberians in Buchanan
and 15,000 pounds for a mobile medical clinic for abandoned and displaced
children.
Japan
85. During fiscal year 1994, the Government of Japan provided the
following assistance:
Organization Amount Programme
ICRC SwF 300,000 Relief operation for refugees
UNHCR US$ 500,000 Repatriation of Liberian refugees
WFP US$ 1,900,0004,933 tons of rice as food assistance
for persons affected by the conflict
in Liberia
V. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS
86. Humanitarian assistance activities are beginning to recover from the
set-backs suffered in late 1994, when warring factions looted the equipment
and vehicles of relief organizations operating in their areas of influence.
These events reflected a deterioration in the security situation that
forced the suspension of most humanitarian assistance activities in areas
outside ECOMOG control. Since then, advances have been made in regaining
access to areas that had been cut off. A number of non-governmental
organizations, on behalf of WFP, have been delivering food across the
border from Cote d'Ivoire. Other relief organizations are exploring ways
to reach areas in Lofa county that have been cut off from aid since late
1993. The securing of roads from Monrovia inland to a number of key towns
has also had a positive impact on relief operations. As a result of this
development it is now possible to consider delivering humanitarian
assistance to these areas directly from Monrovia, rather than through time-
consuming and costly cross-border operations. A number of United Nations
agencies and non-governmental organizations, including UNICEF, WHO and WFP,
have taken initial steps to this end.
87. Despite these gains, security constraints continue to limit
humanitarian assistance programmes. The relief community in Liberia will
continue to address this issue by seeking access to greater numbers of
Liberians, based on the humanitarian principles of neutrality and
impartiality. Increased access, however, requires minimum levels of
security. In view of the recent cease-fire, it should be possible to
expand the reach of humanitarian assistance fairly quickly. However, the
problem of food shortages among combatants may complicate this effort.
88. It is increasingly clear that any plan for sustainable progress in the
rehabilitation of Liberia must include a credible programme for the
demobilization and reintegration of combatants into civil society.
Estimates indicate there are 50,000 to 60,000 fighters of whom as many as
15,000 are children. After more than five years of war, many of these
fighters know no other way of life. The demobilization and reintegration
programme for Liberia must, therefore, be tailored to accommodate the
specific needs of underaged fighters. The United Nations system and its
partners in Liberia must continue to devote themselves to creating
opportunities for fighters to take up productive and fulfilling
alternatives to their current, violent existence. If combatants are not
offered such alternatives, Liberia could remain destabilized, despite any
progress in peace negotiations. Successful demobilization and
reintegration of fighters into civil society is a critical component of the
transition to normalcy in Liberia.
89. The recent positive developments in the peace process have highlighted
the important role to be played by the humanitarian community in this
effort. United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and their
partners are developing a programme to assure the smooth and permanent
reabsorption of demobilized fighters into civilian society. The initial
components of such a programme have been incorporated in the latest inter-
agency humanitarian appeal for Liberia, launched in early October 1995.
Efforts are under way to complete the comprehensive demobilization,
disarmament and reintegration programme.
Notes
1/ S/26272, annex.
2/ S/1995/7, annexes I and II.
3/ S/1995/742, annex.
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