United Nations Nations Unies
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [OCHA]
AS
ZIMBABWE’S:FOOD NEEDS INCREASE, UN HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES
STEPUP OPERATIONS TO ADDRESS UNDERLYING CAUSES
( NEWew YORKork,: 18 September -2003) - In- United Nations humanitarian agencies inIn Zimbabwe UN Humanitarian Aagencies are stepping up operations to address food shortages and their underlying causes. The United Nations has also identified the need to strengthen a nationala national immunization programme, which has been affected by ethe th country’s economic downturn.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is now scaling up operations in Zimbabwe as whole communities have exhausted their food stocks. In August, Tthe agency’s WFP food aid programme reached some 1.1 million rural beneficiaries rural populations in 31 districts, ---totallingsome 1.1 million beneficiaries,-- in August, up from 22 districts in the May post-harvest seasonin May. Assistance will increase to cover 36 districts in September. Food needs are expected to increase sharply over the next seven months before the April 2004 harvest.
To address longer-term food insecurity, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that non-governmental organizationNGOs have so far secured funds to provide agricultural assistance to slightly over 590,000 vulnerable households. Thatis assistance will include seedsagricultural inputs,such as maize and other small grains as well as bean seeds, small grains, and bean seeds. SIn addition, Along with the provision of inputs, sseveral other types of assistance are planned, including training/extension services, and the provision of inputs through a voucher and fairs mechanism,. Non-governmental organizationssupport to draft power necessities. NGOs are still negotiating funding for additional interventions with major donors.
Health also remains a concern in Zimbabwe. AThe country has experienced a number of disease epidemics in the past 12 months have threateneding the lives of thousands of children and other vulnerable sections of the population. An recent outbreak of measles has been reported in Mutare District within Manicaland Province. Since itstheonset at the beginning of July, a total of 40 cases were reported. Sixty-eight per cent68% of the people in that area cases are underbelow5 years of age and only 3 (8per cent%)had have beenbeen vaccinated. The reported cases include tTwelve reported deaths which could not be laboratory- confirmed. since all the children died in the community. The outbreak is centered in the Marange community, whoare of the Apostolic faith sect and, who do not believe in modern medicine-- including vaccination.
The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare personnel conducted an urgent vaccination programme targeting all children between nine months and 14 years, with a total of 2,000 children having been vaccinated to date. The surrounding communities should also be protected through vaccination of children aged nine(9 months to 14 years).
It is apparent from such outbreaks that there is an urgent need to strengthen the extended programme of immunization (EPI) through the provision of adequate transport, gas and vaccines to conduct mop up vaccination campaigns. in. outbreak prone Zimbabwe adopted a policy on the elimination measles in the country through outreach and static vaccination programmes. The extended programme of immunization (EPI) has been one of the flagship programmes run by the Zimbabwe Ggovernment but currently it has been severely affected by the current humanitarian crisis coupled withandthewith the severe economic recession. The outreach programme has been the most affected component owing to in the face of the unavailability of fuel, finance and transport. Thatis has resulted in lack of access to basic health services, particularly to those populations that have been resettled, thus making them more susceptible to disease outbreaks.
For further information, please contact: Stephanie Bunker (New York), tel.: 917 367-5126.
* *** *The country has experienced a number of disease epidemics in the past 12 months threatening the lives of thousands of children and other vulnerable sections of the population. RELIEF-SHIPBOUND FOR SOUTHERN LIBERIASHELLING IN BURUNDI TAKES TOLL AMONG CIVILIANS
(Martin I MajuroBujumbura: 1210 SeptemberJuly 2003) The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) relief-ship,Martin I Majuro, steamed out of Monroviaharbourthis afternoon (13:00GMT) bound for the smallcoastal town of Harper, some 236nautical miles south of the Liberiancapital, Monrovia.
On board,an inter-agency United Nations and international non-governmental organisation (NGO) missionis poisedtodock and enter Harper, rebel-held(MOFDEL forces)territory. The mission members, experts in humanitarian relief operations, logistics and security,will assess the humanitarian conditionson the ground, and the capacity of Harper port,and airfield,to facilitate future aid deliveries.
Harper is one of five regional hubs the United Nations has identified,and will during the course of the days ahead,spread the international net of assistance to Liberia’s most vulnerable.
“Reaching those populations in the interior is key, whilst at the same timepreparing these smaller communities for the eventual return of thousands of IDPs and refugees presently concentrated in and around the capital, and neighbouring countries”, said Mr Daniel Augstburger, Mission Leader.
It is the first time the United Nations willvisit Harper since June, afterMODEL forcestook control of the town, forcing humanitarian operations to an abrupthalt.
On-handat the Port for thedeparture,the WFP Country Director, Mr Justin Bagirishya, declared this mission an important first step in expanding the graspof humanitarian assistance nationwide. “Inroads are being made. For the first time we are reaching out to the most vulnerableand offering them tangible prospectsfor stability,and a return to some sense of normalcy after years of war and poverty”.
Fighting between rebels and government forces in Burundi's capital, Bujumbura,has killed up to twenty civilians, injured as many as 100 and displaced some 5,000 more since Monday.
Clashes between the Palipehutu-FNL (Agathon Rwasa) and the Armed Forces of Burundi (FAB) erupted in the southern neighborhoodsof Bujumbura on Monday morning. Mortar rounds that exploded in densely populated locations within Bujumbura, including the main Market Place, the Central Bank of Burundi and Prince Louis Rwagasore Hospital, have killed at least two civilians. According to the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Burundi, Mr.Sunil Saigal, no accurate figure exists for the total number of civilian injuries or deaths. “As many as 200 people have been admitted to the numerous hospitals and clinics run by national authorities and international non-governmental organizations”, said Mr.Saigal.
Civilians in Bujumbura report that both the rebels and military have actively encouraged civilians to flee the conflict areas. An estimated 2,000 displaced people, mostly women and children have been temporarily located in the grounds of the Burundi Life Museum (Musée Vivant).
They have received high-protein biscuits from UNICEF, water from the International Committee for the Red Cross, and medical support from the NGO Medecins Sans Frontiers. Another group of roughly 3,000 IDPs have reportedly sought shelter at a secondary school run by Catholic priests in Bujumbura's Kanyosha neighborhood. The condition of the group in Kanyosha, however, is unknown because security conditions do not permit humanitarian workers to reach those areas. The plight of unaccompanied children and separated families remains a core concern.
The spread of fighting into Bujumbura punctuates a marked deterioration of security in Burundi. Now, 16 of Burundi's 17 provinces are subjected to sporadic fighting, looting and armed banditry. At this time last year, only six of the country's 17 provinces were subject to frequent conflict, while the other 11 were open to and in need of rehabilitation and development.
“The impact of continued fighting on civilians and social infrastructure is devastating,”said Mr.Saigal. In addition to the 281,000 Burundians living in formal camps for the internally displaced, an estimated 100,000 Burundians are temporarily displaced each month, frequently forced to flee their homes as their neighborhoodserupt into fighting, leaving their livelihoodsbehind. Almost one in six Burundians continues to live away from their homes.
According to the UN's Human Development Index, Burundi is the third poorest country in the world. Since the outbreak of the conflict in Burundi in 1993, the hostilities have claimed the lives of an estimated 300,000 people, the vast majority of whom were civilians.
The President, Domitien Ndayizeye, is in Europe for meetings aimed at stirring up international support for this tiny war-stricken nation. To date, only $XX18.X2 million, ---just XX26.X4 per cent of the funds required under the United Nations 2003 Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for LiberiaBurundi--have been pledged.
For further information, please call NicholasMcGowan, +377 47 530 433257 951 681 (OCHA BujumburaLiberia); Stephanie Bunker +212 917 367 5126 63 1143 (OCHA NY), Elizabeth Byrs +41 22 917 2653 (OCHA Geneva).. Bureau de la Coordination des Affaires Humanitaires
Regional Support Office for West Africa - Bureau Regional d’Appui pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest
PRESS RELEASE
US 15.9 million can avert a massive humanitarian crisis in Cote d’Ivoire and the sub-region
UN agencies and other humanitarian actors, estimate that about 3.9 million persons need assistance and support in terms of shelter, water and sanitation, food, health, education and protection IN Côte d'Ivoire AND THE SUB-REGION during the next three months.
On 21 November 2002, humanitarian agencies in Abidjan, Cote d’ Ivoire launched a Flash Appeal to mobilize US$ 15.9 million to cover from November 2002 to January 2003, the immediate pressing humanitarian needs and to avert a large-scale humanitarian crisis in Côte d’Ivoire and three priority (neighbouring?) countries, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana.
Within Côte d’ Ivoire, just about US$ 7 million are being sought to provide humanitarian assistance to for over 3.4 million beneficiaries targeted for humanitarian assistance out of a total population of 15.3 million people (about 20% of the totaloverall population). In Burkina Faso US$ 1.1 million is needed for some 143,600 vulnerable people, being targeted, while in Ghana just over US$ 819,500 is needed for about 187,000 people. In addition, US$ 818,800 is being sought for about 95,000 evacuees, transiting populations, asylum seekers and host communities targeted for assistance in Mali. A total of US$ 6 million is needed for relevant regional response capacities. (This is confusing. How does it add up to the 15.9 million above?)
The working scenario for this flash appealassumesthat a remains a military stalemate will prevail, with the insurgents holding part of the north, while the Government controls the southern portion of the country. national territory. With an interposition force to be deployed shortly as part of within the context of the peace settlement process initiated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), humanitarian organizations are closely monitoring developments and the strain the current crisis is placing on the Ivorian society. This will enable relief organizations to ensure that their operations remain relevant and efficient for those made destitute, homeless or otherwise vulnerable. The number of status quo is expected to exacerbate existing vulnerabilities and multiply the number of people requiring some sort of relief assistance during the next 90 daysis expected to increase. .
[Nature of problem: IDPs, economic disruption, etc. Then—what the aid community has done so far. “In the past weeks the aid community in CDI has”…done what to gear up? Set up new presence in Yamoussoukro, etc….]
The ability of the humanitarian community including national and international actors to address current emergency needs and more importantly to target relief aid so as to avert a massive humanitarian crisis depends on the swift and equitable allocation of resources for the interventions outlined in the appeal and for other initiatives undertaken to complement efforts included in this Inter-Agency Appeal. This sub-regional crisis, stemming from the situation in c
Cote d’iIvoire,represents a unique opportunity for for the implementation of the concept of cconflict prevention as part of an integral component of an integrated response to a humanitarian emergency that has the potential to for become ing a regional humanitarian tragedy of unmanageable proportions.
For further information please contact:
Mrs. Besida Tonwe
Head of OCHA Regional Support Office for West Africa
Tel: (225) 22405170
Cell phone: (225) 07013663
Ms. Rosa Malango
Humanitarian Affairs Officer, OCHA Regional Support Office for West Africa
Tel: (225) 22405171
Cell phone: (225) 07013664
