Eritrea: Humanitarian Update 20 Oct

GENERAL OVERVIEW
The period has been dominated by events surrounding the Demarcation issue. In the UNMEE Weekly Briefing on 16 October, the SRSG Legwaila Joseph Legwaila reiterated that the border was stable and that there were no signs of impending war. Referring to what he regarded as the "noisy beating of the drums" in the media, he appealed for calm particularly to the media not to frighten people and avoid language that might create panic among the peoples of the two countries. He said he still hoped the peace process would be successful adding that the alternative was too ghastly to contemplate.

UNHCR RESUMES REPATRIATION FROM SUDAN

On Wednesday 15 October, the UNHCR resumed repatriation, which was suspended on the 8 July due to the rainy season hampering access. The first group of 145 people from camps mainly in eastern Sudan were transported into the border town of Tesseney. For some of the returnees it was the first time home in over thirty-five years. Upon arrival they were given initial household supplies, a cash grant, health check and three months of food provided by the World Food Programme. They will make their own way to areas mainly in the Gash-Barka region, southwestern Eritrea. In total 36,000 Eritrean refugees have registered to return home out of some 100,000 residing in eastern Sudan. Convoys are expected to leave every fourth day from Sudan. The Repatriation programme is based on a Tripartite Agreement between the governments of Sudan, Eritrea and the UNHCR.

CAP 2004 FINALISED

The CAP 2004 was completed and sent to Geneva. The government, UN, donors and NGOs all worked together on the document, which will continue to target drought, and war affected populations. The document emphasises the need for the donor community to continue providing support to meet the challenges facing Eritrea in view of the deteriorating situation in the country. The Malnutrition rate has gone from 9% to 24.7% in most of the drought affected areas. In Gash Barka it has already reached 27% while in Anseba Zoba, 75,000 women are malnourished. This situation can lead to low birth weight, stillbirth, spontaneous abortion and increased maternal mortality. Other areas of concern for the CAP 2004 include reintegration of IDPs, repatriation and reintegration of returnees from the Sudan. The CAP 2004 launch is set for 19 November 2003 in Washington. The local launch will be announced soon.

INTEGRATED RECOVERY PROGRAMME

The Integrated Recovery Programme (IRP) document was completed. This three-year programme running from 2004-2006 has been jointly developed to address the longer-term needs of the population. Through the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the IRP aims to effect the transition from relief to development in an integrated manner. Inclusive and building on the 4Rs programme; repatriation, reintegration, rehabilitation and reconstruction processes of returnees, as well as IDPs, expellees and affected host communities, the programme provides a framework of sectoral recovery activities which will benefit longer term development. To complement the process a Resource Mobilisation strategy has also been finalised by the UNCT in Eritrea with the support of the government and OCHA. It highlights the modalities to be used, which will include the forthcoming mission of Mr Marrti Ahtisaari to launch the IRP programme.

THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ERADICATION OF POVERTY

UN agencies along with the Government of Eritrea held joint events Thursday 16 to mark World Food Day and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty at the Confederation of Eritrean Workers. In a WFP news release, the combined efforts of the UNCT and the Eritrean government were noted in assisting people suffering from extreme poverty and food insecurity. The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Arefaine Berhe, addressing guests, which included the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator Mr Simon Nhongo, said little had been achieved to meet the Millennium Development Goals which aims to halve by 2015 the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day and the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. He warned that Eritrea's dependence on rainwater calls for a more diversified approach in agriculture.

MINE ACTION

MACC Mine Risk Education teams operating in the Tserona area of the Central Sector discovered six military trucks. It is understood that the trucks were remnants from the last war and had been transporting ammunition. Thousands of exploded and unexploded ordnance (UXO) remain scattered over a kilometre radius from the scene. It has been reported to UNMEE MACC that the Eritrean military burnt the trucks during their retreat in order to stop the Ethiopians from acquiring them. MACC is liasing with the Indian battalion, RONCO and the Eritrea militia to sweep the area and collect all UXOs. A UNDP Landmine Impact Survey Team reported children playing with mines and UXOs at Wanki village north of Keren. The MACC Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) emergency response team has disposed of various types of Anti Tank Mines, rockets and hand grenades in the area. In the Shilalo area another 27 Anti Tank mines were removed from a grazing field.

UNMEE WEBSITE LAUNCHED

The United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) launched its own website on Wednesday 15 at its headquarters in Asmara. The website address is http://www.unmeeonline.org. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ambassador Legwaila Joseph Legwaila thanked everyone who had participated in the development of the website. He expressed the hope that the website would be regularly updated with every development in the Mission area. All information on UNMEE as well as issues including Mine Action, Human Rights, Political Affairs and HIV/AIDS are covered.

HEALTH NUTRITION

The Sectoral Working group met Thursday 16 and among the issues discussed were how the sector could reduce duplication of services through joint planning and programming. A small working group comprising UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA was established to look into the application modalities.

SHELTER ASSESSMENT

The Joint Temporary Shelter Assessment of IDPs and Expellee's settlements in Gash Barka and Debub is now complete. The Assessment team comprised Eritrea Relief & Refugee Commission (ERREC), ICRC, UNDP and Information Co-ordination Centre (ICC). They visited all camps and discovered that almost all tents in the two regions are worn out. The average lifespan for a tent in Gash Barka is 6 months while in Debub it is one year. Shelter has continued to be a chronic problem in all the camps and a reclassification of tents was recommended to attend to the problem.

For further information please contact: OCHA Eritrea Information Office on 291-1-151888