Movements
Sudan: The most publicized movement
at the moment would have to be the large-scale tripartite repatriation
of the 90,000 Eritrean refugees in Sudan. As of August 6th , it had repatriated
18,857 refugees.
There continues to be a slow trickle of new displacement from the Senafe sub-zone in Debub and around Lalai Gash in Gash-Barka. Concerns persist as to the condition of those still living in occupied territories.
As of Saturday, August 6th, 4,477 IDPs had left Dige camp for their home communities, with the rest expected to return over the following few days. IDPs were reported to be happy to be returning home and were taking all their personal items, tents and relief items.
Since significant numbers have returned, are in the process or will soon return to their home communities, accepted IDP figures will eventually have to be updated.
At the same time, this is not to say that they will no longer require assistance, though the focus of that assistance will undoubtedly shift to rehabilitation in addition to continued emergency relief in the form of both shelter and food assistance.
Additionally, host communities are already in dire need of much closer attention and certainly higher rates of assistance than they are currently receiving.
Rain agriculture and confidence
Rains are uneven around the country and it is unclear whether the length of the rainy season will make up for the lateness of its commencement.
Early August seems to be the crucial deadline for planting. If crops are not planted by early August, the sea-son will be lost and thus require massive continued food assistance well into autumn 2001. Already certain long-cycle crops have been lost, though shorter-cycle crops still have a small window of opportunity.
Reports suggest that returnees are indeed taking advantage of this small window of opportunity and small-scale private planting is going on in most areas of the country.
In Gash-Barka, larger-scale mass plowing is going on with tractors lent out by the government, though it remains to be seen what the results will be. IDPs in Gash-Barka mentioned that they required certain confidence building measures before they could all feel truly safe to return to their home communities. Among those would be the stationing of UN peacekeepers and the promise of continued aid in the form of shelter, food, health and education services, as well as seeds and other agricultural inputs upon return.
The overall humanitarian situation is far more stable than just one month ago, but is by no means to be considered to warrant complacency on the part of the humanitarian community. The needs of the war-affected are changing with the returns and there remain considerable shortfalls in the shelter and health sectors. There is a definite need for continued donor support.
There are also concerns about the onset of the malaria season, particularly in Harena camp, due to the fact that Harena is located in a highly malarial area and the IDPs now living there are from areas with a low incidence of malaria, thus having little immunity to the disease. Additionally, WHO has pointed out the shortage of medical tents and equipment in most camps.
Drought:
Those affected by drought in Eritrea have been receiving far less attention in recent months due to the enormity of the crisis affecting the war-affected.
A July 31st, WHO report quoted Mr. Osman Adem, ERREC coordinator for the Afabet sub-zone, as saying that there an irregular food supply and that people are following reports of rain-fall in order to graze their livestock and "if possible, plant. There are some deep water wells and people walk two to four hours to reach them."
Dependency on food distribution is reported to be increasing in drought stricken areas with approximately 2/3 of the Afabet sub-zone's population of 75,000 now drought affected. "One of the factors complicating the situation is that since the last drought, many more people are living in the mountainous valleys of this region, partly because when it does rain they are fertile, and partly because it has been a reliably safe area since the later 80s," concludes the report.
Drought conditions persist in Anseba zone, around Asmat, Sela, Kerkebet and Habero, which have had little to no rain. UNICEF is currently trucking in drinking water for Asmat and environs.
Shelter:
The shelter SWG continues to be concerned about the needs of host communities and stresses that more needs to be done to accommodate host families and the IDPs living with them.
Food:
Distribution, transportation and storage: ERREC has established four main stores in Massawa, Asmara, Dekemhare and Keren. There is now a contract with Lilo National Transportation Company to use 130 trucks to move food from stores to distribution centers. ERREC and WFP will be discussing a plan to store food at zonal distribution centers in order to meet unforeseen emergency needs. Construction of several rubhalls should also be completed by the end of this week.
Rations: The food SWG has suggested that ration scales be reconsidered and harmonized so that affected host are receiving now.
ERREC continues to be concerned about the shortfalls in food donations.
Water and Sanitation:
The Environmental Health Unit in the
Primary Health Care Division at the Ministry of Health headquarters has
taken the lead role in the provision of sanitation and hygiene promotion
strategies in IDP camps. NGOs involved in this process will meet with the
Ministry of Health and UNICEF next week to map out sanitation and hygiene
promotion strategies. The European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO)
has earmarked a total amount of 280,000 Euro to improve water supply in
camps. They will be working through the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).
Furthermore, Norwegian
Church Aid donated a large quantity of water equipment and supplies to
ERREC for use by agencies working in various areas. This equipment includes
generators of various capacities, submergible pumps, reservoirs and water
bladders.
|
Health Facts and Figures
courtesy of WHO Eritrea Health Update 31 July 2000 |
Health and Nutrition:
The Communicable Disease Control (CDC) division of the ministry of Health visited three camps in three zones to strengthen the disease surveillance reports. During these visits MOH staff held productive discussions with zonal health staff on how and when to report on existing diseases. The top five diseases occurring in all camps are diarrhea with and without blood, acute respiratory infection, eye diseases and malaria. The only four deaths reported in the camps visited were due to ARI in children under five. The CDC division expects to receive reports from all camps in the near future.
The CDC division has sent 42,500 impregnated mosquito nets and 31,000 non-impregnated nets to IDP camps in Gash Barka and Anseba. Safe motherhood kits are available in most camps as are ante-natal services. The growth and health of children under five is being monitored. MOH is also strengthening the EPI services in the camps by installing solar refrigeration.
Most medical equipment and medications that were in the pipeline have arrived in country.
Eritrea signs Geneva Conventions
ASMARA, Aug 4 (AFP) - Eritrea has become the 181st signatory to the Geneva Conventions on conduct during times of conflict and the treatment of prisoners of war, a senior government official told on Friday.
"The conventions were signed on July 29, and the instrument of accession was deposed to the ministry of foreign affairs of Switzerland," said Tesfai Ghirmazien, the permanent secretary in Eritrea's foreign ministry. [...] Tesfai suggested that Eritrea's signing of the conventions would not change much. "Although we were not signatories, we've been observing the Geneva Conventions, probably more than certain countries that were signatories," he said. Eritrea and Ethiopia went to war in May 1998. Both sides agreed in June to halt the conflict, but the deal failed to stem accusations of human rights abuses leveled by both sides against the other.
Information Coordination Center ICC
Contact People
Yemane Tekleyohannes, Errec
Tanya Power-Stevens, OCHA
tel. 18 51 54/18 20 84 Fax. 18 26 44
e-mail: Depriasm@server.unog.ch
Jeffrey L. Shannon
Eritrean Development Foundation
P.O. Box 2967
Asmara, ERITREA