MCIC Situation report Macedonia no. 18/2001

October 1-7, 2001

Skopje, October 8th, 2001


HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Displaced persons

The number of IDP drastically reduced.
According to the MRC, there are 44,531 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP). 3,547 of them are sheltered in the collective centers.


HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Food

The Turkish Red Crescent Society, in cooperation with ICRC and the Macedonian Red Cross, donated 25,000 US dollars worth of food products for 1000 families displaced from the crisis regions.

El Hilal distributed approximately 70 tons of food and hygiene products for the villages of Vaksince, Matejce, Orizare, Vistica, Brodec, Selce and the Cair town district.

Natyra distributed 2 tons of flour for the people of Vaksince.

WFP evaluates the nutritive needs for the affected population (IDP in the collective centers, IDP in host families, people who have returned, as well as people which stayed ceaselessly in the crisis regions).

Health

On October 3, the Ministry for Health and the World Health Organization/WHO, organized a workshop for a rapid assessment of medicine centers and health centers in the conflict areas. This assessment takes place in the area of Tetovo, Skopje and Kumanovo. Approximately 13 teams should evaluate 98 objects. A team from the Kumanovo Medicine center, logistically supported by the MCIC, evaluated the Lipkovo-area villages (Nikustak, Lipkovo, Slupcane,Matejce, Otlja and Lojane).

The American Red Cross is conducting a health education programmer for the IDPs in the collective centers and the host families in Skopje and Kumanovo regions.

Shelters

On October 3, within the Transport and Liasons Ministry, the Committee for reparation and reconstruction was formed. It comprises representatives of the Transport and Liaisons Ministry, European Union, the US embassy, UNHCR, IMG as well as the agencies which will carry out the activities, such as: MCIC, IRC, SNI, Mercy Corps and Movimondo.

The areas in which the agencies for object reparations in the Tetovo, Kumanovo and Skopje regions will operate is generally allocated.

UNHCR is ready to start the distribution of construction materials for house reparations via its supplying partners: IRC, MCIC, SNI, and Mercy Corps. UNHCR has set up a construction materials warehouse in Kumanovo.

On October 4, the European Commisioner for Foreign Affairs Chris Patten signed an agreement with Children's Aid Direct for reconstruction of the damaged houses in the crisis regions in Macedonia. This programm will encompass approximately one thousand damaged houses in Aracinovo, Tetovo and Kumanovo.

Water-supply and sanitation

There are no recent such activities in this period.

Schools and education

On October 3, the Albanian students of "Goce Delcev" high school in Kumanovo interrupted the classes once more. The Albanian newspaper, "Fakti", says that they interrupted classes because there was no transport provided for the students of the Lipkovo region, and they wanted to have the classes in the same building. On October 4, the Macedonian students interrupted the classes and demanded a separate entrance to be made for the Albanian students.

UNICEF completed the distribution of school materials and books, with which 26,500 children were helped.

UNICEF proceeds with quick evaluation of the damage of schools, and managed to allocate 14 schools in need of renovation. This help has been distributed to the ECHO/Solidarites, CRS, World Vision and MCIC.

Humanitarian demining

ICRC is carrying out the mine and not-exploded explosives hazard information campaign in the crisis regions, the collective centers and the host families, which accommodate IDPs.

Protection and human rights

There are no recent such activities in this period.

Psychosocial activities

UNICEF, in collaboration with Nansen Centre and the local NGO, Multi-kultura, has established a family center in Tetovo.

Post-crisis rehabilitation

The European Union and the Macedonian Power Company signed an agreement for a donation of 10,5 million Euros, which will be utilized in order to restore the electro-energetic infrastructure, which was damaged because of the military action in the crisis regions.


HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION

Financing

After the departure from Macedonia, Havier Solana and Chris Patten were disappointed with the progress in Constitution amendments and declare that the donor conference for Macedonia will be not held on October 15. The conference probably will be held later or next year.

Coordination

Eleventh meeting of the NGO humanitarian coordination.
At the meeting, the participants delivered reports for their activities in the past week. The representative of Organization of organization of women in Macedonia emphasized the inappropriate conditions of living of the newly born babies and their mothers. The representative of Mesecina pointed that the cooperation among the domestic and international organizations and the flow of informations. Another problem is the neglecting of the inhabitants of the Tetovo suburbs, Koltuk, Drenovec and Potok where food and hygienic parcels aid is necessary, as well as aid for the villages in Gorna Reka. The representative of Natyra said that people in the Lipkovo region return to their homes. Proposals from this meeting: The Coordination Body for Crisis Management to organize convoy for the displaced people from the region of Gorna Reka, and the NGO Humanitarian Coordination representatives to visit the Tetovo and Lipkovo crisis regions.

Twelvth meeting of the National Humanitarian Coordination.
At the beginning of the meeting the organisations submitted reports for their work. OCHA representative informed that UNHCR started buying wood, winter clothes and underwear. IRC continues renewal of CCs in Kumanovo. DFID Representative informed that funds for supporting humanitarian activities in areas affected by the conflict were acquired. ECHO continues ditribution of hygienic parcels via implementing partners for families that have taken IDPs. Swiss Disaster Relief informs that implementation of the project "Money for Shelter" will commence. This project is retroactive and will cover all families that have taken IDPs in the period May-August 2001.

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