MCIC Situation report Macedonia no. 21/2001

October 22-28, 2001

Skopje, October 29th, 2001


HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Macedonian Red Cross will publish the number of displaced persons once a month.
The last information says there are 53.797 displaced persons.

Number of refugees returning from Kosovo.
According to data from the UNHCR there are still around 16.000 ethnic Albanian refugees in residing in Kosovo, and thus far around 60.000 refugees (ethnic Albanians) have returned to Macedonia.

Humanitarian action

On 26 October the manifestation "Home for all", organized by the displaced children, was held. 150 children who were displaced during the war too place at the manifestation. The collected assets will be used for humanitarian purposes.


HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Food

The humanitarian organization El Hilal has distributed humanitarian aid of 43 tons of foods and basic hygienic products in Vaksince, Hasan Beg and to displaced families in Tetovo, on 22, 26 and 28 October.

"Klasje na dobrinata" has distributed family packages for 120 families in Skopje. A package contains 3 kilograms of flour, oil, sugar, rice, pasta, 10 soaps, 5 detergents ("Biljana") and diapers.

Teams of ICRC on 23 October visited Goshince on Skopska Crna Gora where around 200 persons who have returned to their homes need help.

Health

ICRC offers medical aid to local medical centers in the Lipkovo region. WHO continues to offer health services to the displaced persons in Kumanovo and to distribute free medications for the pharmacies in Skopje. WHO has distributed medications for Tetovo for the first time.

Shelters

IRC continues to appraise the damages of homes in Lipkovo, Orizare, Lojane and Vaksince.
The Organization Children's Aid Direct appraises the houses in Matejche, where it has begun to distribute construction materials.

On 23 October UNHCR has distributed packages for returnees (a composition) for 180 families in Dobroshte, for 60 families in Prshovce, for 40 families in Orashje, and for 6 families in Drenovec. On 24 October nine UNHCR trucks loaded with construction materials have distributed aid to Lipkovo, Vaksince and Arachinovo.

On 23 October UNHCR has begun to operate the bus line from Tetovo to Selce, and the line will operate twice a day.

MCIC on 24 and 25 October has distributed 7,500 roof tiles for the repairing of 110 damaged roofs in Radusha. On 24 October it distributed construction materials for a complete renovation of six houses in Belovishte, Rogachevo in Vratnica Municipality and Prshovce (1) in Tearce Municipality.

On 26 October a convoy with displaced persons, ethnic Albanians and ethnic Macedonians from Opae have visited their homes after six months. Around 50 of them remained in their homes.

Water supplies and sanitation

UNHCR provides two or three water tanks per day for Ljuboten in order to reduce water shortage until a long-term solution is found.

Schools and education

The French Agency Solidarite has replaced all windows and carried out reparations of minor damages of the Neproshteno School

UNICEF has prepared a list of schools that at the moment do not function, due to damages done during the conflict. Around 35 schools have a need of quick rehabilitation: some are to be fully reconstructed, whereas others need certain reparations.

Humanitarian demining

Demining Teams continue to cleanse the terrain in Tetovo region. ICRC/MCIC has distributed leaflets to inform the public of mine dangers and unexploded items in the crisis areas.

Protection of human rights

No new activities during this period.

Psycho-social activities

NGO "Save the Children" in co-operation with the US Committee for refugees is carrying out a new project for the displaced persons from crisis areas, who reside at the collective centers "Pelagonija", "Ranka Milanovikj" and "T.S. Senikj". Children from these centers will be organized to visit cinemas, theatres as well as cultural manifestations. The project encompasses children from the Tetovo and Skopje region who reside in the centers and will last six weeks.

Post-crisis rehabilitation

EU Ambassador to Macedonia, Jose Pinto Texeira has visited the displaced persons in the Kumanovo-Lipkovo region who have been accommodated in the collective center in Dolno Konjare. On that occasion 100 citizens were granted humanitarian aid consisted of cattle food.

Teams of Macedonian Electrical Company have been repairing the damages electrical network in the crisis areas during the last week.


HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION

Funding

International organizations and representatives of state-donors, participants at the Second Regional Conference of SouthEast Europe Stability Pact in Bucharest, have determined 60 million Euro for the realization of Pact for Macedonia projects.

Coordination

Fourteenth meeting of NHC.
The Director of the Refugees, Displaced Persons and Humanitarian Aid Department from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy has emphasized the problem of heating wood for the displaced persons and fuel for those in the collective centers, as the winter approaches. Also a problem appears to be warm clothing for children. UNHCR representative has informed that his organization will provide heating woods for families where the displaced persons reside.
Together with UNICEF they will provide heating woods for schools in crisis areas.

USAID/OFDA representative promoted the program on shelters. The program will assist 1.800 families in the Kumanovo and Tetovo region. At the beginning heating woods of 4-5 m2 each will be provided. The German Red Cross will provide assistance in repairing houses of first and second category in Slupchane and Ropajce.


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