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16 July - 22 July 2001 Skopje, 23rd of July 2001 HUMANITARIAN SITUATION Displaced persons The number of internally displaced persons (IDP)
decreases. According to the Macedonian Red
Cross, the number of IDPs totals at 31,673, out of which 1,297 are settled
in the collective centres. A new collective centre has been opened in Dolno
Konjare, Kumanovo, where 72 persons have been settled. In the Home for
Elder, 13 persons have been settled. Refugees return from Kosovo to Macedonia. The number of refugees returning from Kosovo increases. Each day, nearly 1,000 refugees (ethnic Albanians) return to Macedonia. Human life impact Around 5,000 inhabitants in the Municipality of Sipkovica, Tetovo, have been cut off for several months, without regular supply. The village of Sipkovica itself is probably a settlement of the so-called NLA. Damages caused The Coordination Body for Crisis Management adopted
the information of the authorized institutions for normalization of the
situation in Aracinovo. Out of 1,000 houses and 655 water supply facilities
i.e. wells checked, 269 can be used normally, 124 are not safe for normal
life and 41 houses were damaged. At present, there are no official reports of the Coordination Body at the Macedonian Government about the damage evaluation from the conflicts in Aracinovo.
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE Food Aid for IDPs. The Red Cross of the city of Skopje started distribution of humanitarian aid for IDPs in the area of Skopska Crna Gora, Tetovo and Kumanovo. The aid was distributed in Momin Potok 2 and "Nikola Vapcarov" primary school. Health The Government Decision for free medicines for IDPs is still not implemented. Shelters A new collective centre has been opened in Dolno Konjare, Kumanovo, where 72 persons have been settled. In the Home for Elder, 13 persons have been settled. Water supply and sanitation In Tetovo there is a water shortage because of
system damages and the summer, which caused eight hour water reductions
daily. The construction of the pump station for spare water supply of the Medical Centre in Kumanovo started. The object should be completed next week. Schools and education There are no activities in this sector so far. Humanitarian demining There are no such activities in this period. Protection and human rights On MCIC initiative, an "Informative and Legal Support for the Internally Displaced Persons" brochure is being prepared. MCIC succeeded to locate three persons, ethnic Macedonians, missing about twenty days in the area of Radusa. Psychosocial activities Eight women NGOs started psychosocial activities for IDPs. Post crisis rehabilitation At the present, the biggest problem in Aracinovo is water and electricity. Examinations have shown that in the village there is shortage of pure drinking water, and there is no technical water as well. One of the reasons for this is the shortage of electricity. For partial water supply of the inhabitants, after their return to the village, water from cisterns will be provided.
HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION Financing ECHO funds for reconstruction. EU announced aid worth of 2.5 million Euros for reconstruction of the destroyed facilities in the crisis areas. Coordination First meeting of NGO humanitarian coordination.
In order to improve the organization and coordination of humanitarian
activities on local level, on 18th of July 2001, NGO humanitarian coordination
has been established by 12 NGOs: El Hilal, Klasje na dobrinata, Mesecina,
OOZM, SOZM, SAZM, ROZM "Daja", DROM, Milosrdie, Megasi and MCIC.
These organizations have certain target group or target area. MCIC will
provide the logistic support of the NGO humanitarian coordination. The
meetings will be held once a week. NGO humanitarian coordination on the
meetings of National Humanitarian Coordination (NHC) will be repreented
by MCIC and El Hilal, and a third representative relevant to the meeting's
issue, if needed. Second meeting of the National Humanitarian Coordination.
On 19th of July 2001, the National Humanitarian Coordination body held
its second meeting, where representatives from President's Cabinet, Ministry
of Labour and Social Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of
Defence, international governmental organizations (UNHCR, UNICEF etc.),
international nongovernmental organizations, Red Cross and domestic nongovernmental
organizations (MCIC and El Hilal) took part. The participants submitted
activity reports and addressed their problems. Further activities should be undertaken for the
following issues: return of IDPs' confidence in the Government; prepare
strategy and plan in case of new displacements of persons; improving coordination
through connection of the different coordination mechanisms between international
organizations, governmental institutions and domestic NGOs; defining conflict
areas access procedure; establishing mechanism for exemption of mobilization
of part of employees in the humanitarian organizations conducting important
tasks for the humanitarian operations; to consider possibilities of Value
Added Tax (VAT) and Financial Transaction Tax exemption of domestic NGOs
for purchases in the country.
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