HIGHLIGHTS
The Chief of Operations of the UNMEE
MACC traveled with the Force Commander on a detailed reconnaissance of
sector east. Several EOD tasks were located during the trip and recorded
for future action.
The UNMEE MACC welcomed the new MACC Logistics Officer (Mr. Chris Rowe) as of 1 July 2003. New national staff also assumed duty with the MACC including a Transport Assistant and a Warehouse Manager.
The UNMEE MACC submitted a Unit self-nomination for the UN 21 Award scheme.
UPDATE
OPERATIONS
Planning continued for the Mortal Remains return project and the new Kenyan demining team tasking. All outstanding stores requests were consolidated and resubmitted to the new Logistics Officer for action.
The MACC EOD Field Team deployed into Sector Center this week destroying 34 UXOs and 1800 rounds of small arms ammunition.
The Regional Liaison Officer West (i.a.) and his national staff continued with surveying the minefields around Shilalo, completing a 20 kilometre by one kilometre minefield. They also conducted several liaison visits to UNMO team sites, conducted Quality Assurance of UXB operations and completed several mine/UXO Preliminary Investigation Reports.
In Sector Center, the MACC field staff finalized the move of their MACC Regional Liaison Office to a new location in Senafe. In addition, the field staff tracked roads in the Sector.
The Regional Liaison Officers for Sector East/Center and Sector West and the Operations Officer are on sick/annual home leave. RLOC is due back next week.
The PO Demining for Demarcation and the MALO Addis Ababa distributed task orders for July and liaised with local authorities.
MEDICAL
The Medical Coordinator is currently on leave. He will return to the Mission at the beginning of August 2003.
INFORMATION
The staff of the Information Section continued to input various mine action data for Eritrea into the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA), in particular data from the Landmine Impact Survey (LIS). The Section's staff continues to regularly check and quality control all incoming data intended for entry into IMSMA. An agreement was reached with the LIS Project Staff to issue the EDA plotter on loan to the LIS, facilitating LIS staff reproduction of their own map requirements in future.
In total, the Section printed forty maps for various customers, includingRONCO, MACC EOD Team, FMAC, UNMOs, MACC Museum and the LIS.
The Section continued to receive more information from UNMEE regarding the locations of various villages. The villages' names and coordinates are collected on an on-going basis and are integrated into the production of Mission maps.
The new plotter, which arrived the previous week, has been tested and is now operational.
All 'standard' minefield maps produced by the MACC will, in future, include cleared areas marked in green.
A two-day training course was run for LIS staff on data entry.
The IMSMA Officer continues to assist the Eritrean Demining Authority (EDA) in configuring their IT unit, preparing a work plan, as well as determining a work flow for EDA.
NOTE: Agencies and clients who would like to obtain maps will have their requests fulfilled within 24 hours. Please contact the Chief of Information (Ext.2123) for further information.
MINE INCIDENT
The Operations Section is currently in the process of assessing and evaluating the recent spate of UXO and landmine incidents in the Shilalo region with a view to providing an integrated PKF response to deal with the problem in the area.
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 (MRE)
The MRE Teams were on scheduled stand down for the week.
The FMAC MRE staff conducted their regular MRE briefing to newly arrived UNMOs.
NOTE: UNICEF and the UNMEE MACC conduct MRE Briefings every THIRD Thursday of the month for interested and newly arrived civilians in the Mission. For Military Observers, the FMAC conducts briefings more regularly. For time and location, please contact Lt Col David Momanyi at the MACC at Ext. 2158 or UNICEF's MRE Coordinator, Ms Lejla Susic at 15 11 99, ext. 363.
UNDP MINE ACTION CAPACITY BUILDING
Landmine Impact Survey (LIS)
The field teams are on a stand down period until 7 July 2003. During this stand down period, the LIS staff will develop on going operational and training plans and resolve overdue logistical matters that require resolution before the teams re-deploy into the field.
Victim Assistance
During the week of 30 June the victim support component of the Mine Action Capacity Building Programme developed a response with the Ministry of Labour and Human Welfare to the International Center for the Advancement of Community Based Rehabilitation (ICACBR) Queens University regarding future collaboration and visiting Eritrea. The response is currently under study with Her Excellency the Minister.
The proposal on Pre-Hospital Trauma Training is under analysis and a series of meetings were held over the week to discuss the proposal with both the Ministry of Labour and Human Welfare and the Ministry of Health.
A second series of logframes and workplans have been developed this week within victim/survivor support. The budget of the Mine Action Capacity Building Project has been adjusted to respond to the new series of logframes.
Phil Lewis
Programme Manager
UNMEE MACC