MCIC Situation report Macedonia no. 3/2001

24 June - 3 July 2001

Skopje, 4th of July 2001


HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Displaced persons

The number of displaced persons increases. Since the beginning of the crisis in Macedonia, more than 110.000 displaced persons are being registered. According to the UNHCR information, 75.000 refugees from Macedonia are being registered in Kosovo until 28th of June, out of which 64.406 after 3rd of May 2001.

In Macedonia, according to the Macedonian Red Cross, the number of internally displaced persons (IDP) totals at 34.944, and 926 of them are settled in the collective centres.

Human life impact

Water supply renewed in Kumanovo. With the extremists' permission, on the 17th of June, the Lake Lipkovo valves were opened. After filtration of the water supply system in Kumanovo, its 100,000 inhabitants obtained water on the 25th of June 2001. There is still a water shortage in Kumanovo of approximately 100 litres per second.

The situation with water supply of Tetovo remains the same. The reason for water reduces in Tetovo is the electricity shortage in Popova Sapka that caused problems with the four small hydropower plants and the pipeline. At present, the citizens of Tetovo have 200 litres per second available water, which covers only their minimum needs. Water restrictions have been made in order to provide water for the people in the higher parts of the city.

Damage caused

After the entrance of the Macedonian Security Forces in Aracinovo, there is still no evaluation made of the damage caused from the 20-day conflicts. The first impressions are that between 50-60% of the houses are completely or partially destroyed, and probably this is true for the livestock as well.

 

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Food

Distribution for IDP. The only organized distributions of food for the displaced persons, so far, are the ones of the Macedonian Red Cross in cooperation with the International Red Cross Committee, and MCIC. The supplies are distributed to the collective centres (MCIC provided initial aid in food and hygiene supplies for covering 20-25-day needs) and to all registered internally displaced persons (MRC/ICRC with standard packs of basic food and hygiene products).

Convoy in Lipkovo. The humanitarian organization El Hilal, on the 25 of June 2001, organized the second convoy for Lipkovo, an area with limited access (in the war conflict zone), with 15,000 civil population. The aid, consist of food (flour, sugar, oil) and hygiene supplies, was transported by five trucks.

Contributions of the citizens. Apart from this, many citizens are self-organizing themselves in the collection of food, cloth and other necessary supplies. The food is usually delivered to the religious institutions or municipalities, wherefrom it is distributed on to the collective centres.

The MCIC considers the possibilities of a wider response to the food needs of the internally displaced persons.

Health

Free health care. By a decision of the Government, all internally displaced persons (IDP) have the right of a free health care anywhere in Macedonia. All registered IDPs, by using a registration card issued by the Macedonian Red Cross can use this right.

Shelters

A new collective centre. Apart from the five, so called, collective centres for the internally displaced persons in Skopje, the student lodging buildings "Zdravko Cvetkovski", "Tome Stefanovski - Senic", "Stiv Naumov", the institutions "Dimitar Vlahov" and "Ranka Milanovic", there is one more opened in Cicino village with a capacity of 140 persons, settled mostly from the village Radusa. Besides MCIC and MRC/ICRC, the Ministry of labour and social policy provided means for financing part of the centres' expenses.

Preparations for new centres. Three more collective centres are being prepared in Kumanovo, in hotel Crystal (80 persons), hotel Cuba (120 persons) and the student home in Dolno Konjare (70 persons).

Water supply and sanitation

The MCIC water supply activities are on the way. This will result in securing urgent water supply of the Medical Centre in Kumanovo. The MCIC donation is more than 2 million denars. MCIC considers the possibility of additional activities in the urgent water supply sector.

Schools and education

There are no activities in this sector so far.

Humanitarian demining

The Macedonian security forces after entering Aracinovo took land-mine removal activities.

Protection and human rights

MCIC continues initiating the dialogue between the churches and religious communities in Macedonia. After the meeting in Geneva with the World Council of Churches (WCC), the working group, made of representatives of the churches and religious communities, held a meeting in MCIC, where the impressions of the WCC talks were discussed and a new meeting with a more concrete conclusions for the future activities was appointed.

MCIC considers the possibility of responding to the information needs of the internally displaced persons (info line for humanitarian issues, web site, paid advertisements in the media), as well as for peace building and conflict resolution measures, and preparedness for emergency operations.

Psychological aid

There are no activities in this sector so far.

 

HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION

Financing

ECHO opened a new programme line. The European Commission approved 3.15 million euros for the provision of food, health rehabilitation, water supply and sanitation in Macedonia. The European Commission Humanitarian Office - ECHO will be the responsible organization for the realization of the new programme (see also: www.europe.eu.int/comm/echo/whatsnew/whatsnew_1.htm)

ACT appeal for the Macedonian crisis. MCIC during the last week prepared an application to ACT for humanitarian response to the Macedonian crisis. The appeal is expected (at the present it refers only for Macedonia) to be announced till the end of this week.

SDC - cash for shelter. The Swiss Disaster committee (SDC) approved 1.5 million German marks for aid for the families hosting internally displaced persons from the conflict areas.

Coordination

NGO coordination

MCIC, the Macedonian Red Cross (MRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) held a coordinative meeting on the 2nd of July 2001, where the following was agreed:

  1. MRC and ICRC to provide food and basic hygiene supplies for the internally displaced persons in the collective centres, and MCIC to provide complementary food and hygiene supplies for the buildings and kitchens. These three organizations will provide initial aid for the new collective centres.
  2. MRC to provide basic food packs for almost all registered internally displaced persons. The SDC will provide aid for the host families, and MCIC will focus on providing aid for the internally displaced persons that are not included in the first and second distribution.
  3. MCIC will also provide humanitarian aid for the civil population in the areas with limited access.

Government coordination. The Government formed a Coordinative body for crisis management, directed by the vice-president of the Government, Mr. Ilija Filipovski and consisted of the Ministers of Internal Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Justice and Finance, as well as representative of the President's Cabinet and the Directorate for Public Security.

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