|
MCIC
Situation report Macedonia no. 7/2001 |
23 July - 29 July 2001
Skopje, 30th of July 2001
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION
Displaced persons
Increased number of IDPs.
According to the Macedonian Red Cross, the number of IDPs in Macedonia
totals at 41.456, out of which 2,607 in the collective centres.
There are three evidence points at the Macedonian
Red Cross in Skopje for displaced persons from Tetovo.
Union of Women Organizations of Macedonia established
crisis centre for providing initial aid for the displaced persons from
Tetovo area.
The number of refugees that return from Kosovo
to Macedonia decreases. According to UNHCR,
around 15.000 refugees (ethnic Albanians) returned from Kosovo to Macedonia,
while around 60.000 persons are still in Kosovo.
Human life impact
Around 20 villages on the route Tetovo - Jazince
have no electricity because of transport system damages during the conflicts
in Tetovo. Part of the system has been fixed, but most of the villages
still have no electric power.
On 29th of July 2001, around 4.000 inhabitants,
mostly ethnic Albanians returned in the village of Aracinovo, Skopje.
They left their homes almost two months ago, on the 8th of June 2001,
when NLA entered the village. The village has neither electricity nor
water. The next day, UNHCR and many international organizations, as well
as MCIC representative (the only domestic NGO) visited the village.
In the limited access areas in the municipalities
of Lipkovo and Vratnica there are 14.000 i.e. 2.500 persons, respectively.
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
Food
Aid for the displaced persons.
ICRC distributed humanitarian aid in the Panorama hotel for IDPs from
Tetovo area, and also started basic food supplies and medicine distributions
in the Tetovo villages, wherefrom inhabitants were forced out a week ago.
Red Cross of the City of Skopje started humanitarian
aid distributions for displaced persons form Skopska Crna Gora, Tetovo
and Kumanovo region. The aid has been distributed in the distribution
points Momin Potok 2 and Nikola Vapcarov Primary School.
Natira distributed food parcels for 1453 displaced
families in Kumanovo.
MCIC distributed food for the collective centre
in Dolno Konjare (for 100 IDPs for 1 month), as well as the newly arrived
IDPs from Tetovo area in the centres Pelagonija (450 IDPs for 1 week)
and Stiv Naumov (300 IDPs for 1 day).
Health
World Health Organization (WHO) in cooperation
with the Ministry of Health and UNICEF established three free medicine
points for IDPs i.e. pharmacies in the polyclinics of Cento, Bit Pazar
and Gorce Petrov. This kind of point is already present in Kumanovo and
WHO regularly supplies the Medical Centre in Tetovo with medicines.
WHO completed capacity identification process
of organizations active in health sector in the moment and in case of
further escalation of the crisis.
Shelter
In the student home "Stiv Naumov", 720
IDPs from Tetovo villages have been settled, while in "Pelagonija"
490.
Water supply and sanitation
MCIC works on providing permanent water source
for the Medical Centre in Kumanovo.
Natira provided parts for repairing of the water
pipeline in the village of Otlja - Lipkovo. There is still no permission
from the Coordination Body for Crisis Management for entering in the village.
MCIC conducted its first distribution of water
in bottles for the persons who returned in Aracinovo.
Schools and education
In the education sector, cooperation with the
Ministry of Education has been established for socialization of the disabled
children.
UNICEF and the Ministry of Education will establish
sub-body for coordination of activities and evaluate whether the standards
for the beginning of the new semester have been fulfilled.
Humanitarian demining
El Hilal in its aid distribution included UNICEF
land-mine protection materials.
Protection and human rights
On MCIC initiative, an "Information and legal
support for IDPs" brochure has been prepared.
Psychosocial activities
UNICEF provides psychosocial support for displaced
children in Skopje, Kumanovo and Tetovo, and in all collective centres.
The activities in the Women Centre in Kumanovo,
consisted of 9 women organizations, are ongoing. For the IDPs this centre
represents a crisis centre, where psychosocial support to women is provided
through group conversations.
Post-crisis rehabilitation
Local hygiene service in Aracinovo buried 500
dead livestock. The teams removed around 80 tons of spoiled food from
the houses and 150 tons of waste.
HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION
Financing
According to sources in Brussels, an international
donor conference might be held after reaching political agreement in the
country.
Coordination
Third National Humanitarian Coordination (NHC)
meeting.
On 26th of July 2001 NHC Body held its
third meeting. Representatives from governmental institutions, UN agencies,
Red Cross and Red Crescent, International governmental and non-governmental
institutions and domestic NGOs participated on the meeting. The organizations
submitted reports for their last week's activities. They condemned the
attacks on the international organizations and recommended improvement
of public relations. They also emphasized the need of free medicines for
IDPs as well as special treatment for disabled IDPs. The organizations
recommended evaluation of teaching possibilities in the crisis areas,
as well as a greater psychosocial support for the IDPs and socio-cultural
acceptability and adequate quality of the humanitarian aid.
Regular interagency meetings.
Interagency and sectoral meetings are being held regularly with significant
progress in the undertaken activities. Present sectors are: food, logistics
(WFP), health (WHO), shelter (UNHCR), local services, education, water
supply and sanitation (UNICEF), agriculture (FAO).
Second coordination 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 between 12 NGOs: El Hilal, Natira, Klasje na dobrinata,
Mesecina, OOZM, SOZM, ROZM "Daja", DROM, Milosrdie, Megasi and
MCIC. On the 2nd meeting held on 25th of July 2001 the reports from the
organization's last week activities. On this meeting, the following was
concluded: condemnation of the attacks on the international organizations;
improvement of IDPs' needs addressing; activating the reserve plans; access
of the population to their private properties; improvement of the health
care for special groups and free medicines for IDPs; improvement of psychosocial
support for women and children etc.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs contact for international
NGOs.
On 26th of July 2001, a meeting at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs with international NGOs was held for improvement
of the conditions for conducting their activities. International NGOs
should inform the Multilateral Relations Sector at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs for all the problems they face.
|