HIGHLIGHTS
The MACC Programme Manager and the Chief
of Operations traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, to review the humanitarian demining
training of the next rotation of Kenyan deminers.
UPDATE
OPERATIONS
The Operations Section continued to work on revising its tasking system for all Force and contractor components for the FMAC. The aim is to effectively streamline all FMAC operational tasking and reporting procedures. The newly recommended tasking system for all EOD operations is still under review and is awaiting final approval from the Head of the Section.
The EOD Field Team deployed to Sector West where it conducted some demolition operations.
The Field Mine Action Liaison Officer traveled to Sector East together with Surveyors from the Boundary Commission and Liaison Officers from both parties to determine the exact locations of the pillars eastward of Bada towards Bure.
In Sector West, the collection of tracking data continued. The Regional Liaison Officer in Sector West began to interview candidates for the vacancy positions in the field office. The recruitment process is on going.
In Sector Center, north of Adi Keih, a M 35 Anti-Personnel Mine was found. The Regional Liaison Officer's field staff conducted an investigation, which revealed that the area where the mine was found was in a recorded EDF minefield from the 1980s. In this minefield, mines had killed a number of persons and animals in the past.
INFORMATION
The upgrade installation of the new IMSMA Version 3.0 was completed at the end of the week. The Section's staff continues to familiarize itself with this new version. This process is on going.
The Information Section's staff also continued to input the last data component, the geo-referenced location of minefields reported by EDF, into the new IMSMA dataset. Once this task is completed, the data entry will be checked and all redundant minefield data will be deleted. Once this verification phase is finalized, it will be possible to retrieve all relevant mine action data from the new IMSMA version 3.0
The Information Section also received its first set of EOD reports (18 reports). These reports are the first EOD data entries into the EOD database, which was set up at the beginning of this year.
With regard to the gradual out-phasing of the 'Russian maps', the Section defined the color scheme for the altitude polygon units. Test maps were printed and discussed. The Section plans to distribute the first set of new maps within the next week.
Finally, the Information Section recruited a new national staff member who will fill the position of the 'Data Quality Assurance Assistant' (Ms Ftsmti Mekonnen).
NOTE: Maps from the Information Section are made available to customers 24 hours from request.
MINE INCIDENT
No mine incidents were reported last week. UNMEE personnel are reminded to report any UXO or mine related incident to the nearest MACC Sector Office, Force Unit or UNMO Team Site. Capacity exits within these elements to conduct investigations, complete IMSMA report forms and forward these reports to the UNMEE MACC.
MINE RISK EDUCATION
The MRE Team in Sector Central conducted MRE activities in the Tisha and Tserona areas where they came across a number of UXO reports in the hands of the area administrator. The Operations Section will deploy its EOD Field Team into those areas to dispose of the UXOs mentioned in these reports.
The MRE Team of Sector West conducted MRE activities in the Shambuko area alongside the EOD Team. The MRE Team focused in particular on schools in the areas of Karkasha, Shambuko and Binbina areas, where UXOs have been reported.
NOTE: The UNMEE MACC conducts MRE Briefings every THIRD Thursday of the month for interested and newly arrived civilians in the Mission. For Military Observers, the MACC conducts briefings more regularly. For time and location, please contact Mr. Rhaman Mustafizur at the MACC at Ext. 2158. (Lt Col David Momanyi, who is the regular contact person for MRE briefings, is currently on leave.)
UNDP MINE ACTION CAPACITY BUILDING
Landmine Impact Survey (LIS)
The LIS senior staff and enumerators visited 43 communities. During the preliminary data collection, sources reported that 27 of the communities were affected, 18 communities were false positives (reported by sources to be affected but no contamination reported by the community) and 3 of the communities had isolated UXO.
The staff visited another 16 communities as part of a false negative sample. 14 of these communities proved to be true negative (not reported by any source and no contamination reported by community) and 2 communities proved to be false negative (not reported by any source but mines reported by community) which will be scheduled for survey.
At the end of the week, the staff deployed in six field teams, consisting of a Team Leader, a Data Editor and six Enumerators; 2 Tigrinya Teams to Decemhare sub-Zoba, Zoba Debub; 1 Tigrinya Team and 1 Saho Team to Segenti sub-Zoba, Zoba Debub and two Tigre Teams to Ginda sub-Zoba, Zoba Northern Red Sea.'
Victim Assistance
With the cooperation of UNMEE and His Excellency the Commissioner, the Ministry of Labor and Human Welfare made the necessary arrangements for the provision of training for community based rehabilitation. This training course will take place between 14 March and 14 April in Assab. The purpose of the training is to upgrade the skills of local supervisors in the sub-region of Assab and to initiate a new project in the sub-region of Tio in the area of South Red Sea. The VA Technical Supervisor is very grateful for the humanitarian support received from UNMEE and H.E the Commissioner in the preparation of this training.
The VA Technical Supervisor attended a meeting with UNDP and the Ministry of Labor and Human Welfare to discuss future plans and direction for the victim assistance component of UNDP's MACBP. Discussions are on going and will result in a revised ProDoc at the end of March 2003.
A delegation of the Norwegian Association of the Disabled (a close working partner of the Ministry of Labor and Human Welfare) arrived on 10 March for a two week visit to discuss and decide on future plans and funding directions for victim assistance in Eritrea. On 15 March 2003, five additional persons arrived to look into specific needs of deaf people in Eritrea.
Meetings continued with the ICRC and the Ministry of Health in Cambodia regarding the possibility of sharing an orthopedic database for Eritrea.
Funding for the Enhancement and Analysis of the National Survey of Persons with Disabilities in Eritrea has been identified. The UK Department for International Development intends to provide US$ 60,000.