NGO Humanitarian Coordination no.13

MINUTES

of the 13th meeting
Skopje, October 16th 2001

Present

Igor Nikolovski - Milosrdie; Artemis Peric - OOZM; Dilbera Kemberovska - ROOZM "Daja"; Memedali Rahmani - Mesecina; Bajram Sulejmani - Natyra; Fatmir Islami, Muhamed Ismaili - Klasje na Dobrinata; Dragi Zmijanac - PDAS "Medjasi"; Ahmet Jasarevski - DROM; Guner Nebiu - SAZM; Savka Todorovska - SOZM; Aleksandar Krzalovski, Emina Nuredinovska - MCIC.

Absent

El Hilal (justifiably)

The meeting was presided by Igor Nikolovski from Milosrdie.

Minutes record: Emina Nuredinovska.

The following agenda was adopted at the meeting:

AGENDA

Minutes from the 12th meeting of the NGO humanitarian coordination.

1. Presentation of UNHCR concourse for swift impact projects.
   
   
2. Informative part
   a) reports from the organizations regarding the activities realized in the past week.
   b) planed activities for the next week.
   
   
3. Problems, questions, needs that are to be reviewed.

Igor Nikolovski from Milsrdie made the introduction regarding the record-book from the 12th NGO humanitarian coordination.

Artemis Peric from OOZM asked for explanation on the second conclusion, which refers to reception of a member from the Tetovo area.

The minutes from the 12th meeting was unanimously adopted.

Ad.1.

Tereza Obradovic, UNHCR consultant for swift impact projects, explained the goal of the program and its criteria, as well as the procedure and timeframe for submission of applications for the concourse for swift impact projects. A form (with explanations) was previously distributed to the participants.

Rahmani Memedali from Mesecina asked if organizations that are not from the regions impacted by the crisis, but which worked with displaced persons could apply. He also asked if the same organization or coordination body composed of several organizations could submit several draft-projects.

Dragi Zmijanac from Medjasi was interested if project that would refer to reconstruction of collective center could be submitted.

Tereza Obradovic from the UNHCR said that organizations that are not from the regions of crisis could also apply at the concourse, but only if they worked with displaced persons. She also said that several projects could be submitted by one organization. The UNHCR has a special fund for repairs and reconstruction of the collective centers, she said.

Ad.2.

a)The participants at the meeting delivered brief oral and written reports about the activities realized during in the past week.

Displaced persons

According to the Natura representative, about 90% of the displaced persons from the Lipkovo region (ethnic Albanians), who were accommodated in Kumanovo, returned to their homes even besides the prohibition from the Governmental Coordination Body for Crisis Management.

Coordination

The regional coordination bodies from Gostivar and Kumanovo regularly realize their activities. Written reports from the meetings were submitted.

Psychosocial support

Medjasi, SAZM, OOZM, SOZM and ROZM "Daja" continuously provide psychosocial support to the displaced women and children.

Reconstruction

MCIC is carrying out a project for reconstruction of the buildings that suffered damage from first and second category in the villages of Otlja, Matejce, Radusa, as well as at some of the Tetovo villages.

Other activities

In the framework of the project "Information for IDPs repatriation," the ROZM "Daja", Medjasi, SOZM and OOZM are regularly present in all collective centers, where they maintain the contact with the displaced persons accommodated there.

On October 11th 2001, the OOZM organized a cultural-artistic program for the displaced persons accommodated at "Kristal" hotel in Kumanovo.

b)The participants at the meeting delivered brief oral and written reports about the activities planed for the next week.

Milosrdie will pay a visit to the Lesok Monastery and will distribute humanitarian packages for the villagers of Lesok. Milosrdie will also identify the needs from humanitarian aid in Tetovo.

Klasje na Dobrinata plans to pay a visit to the regions impacted by the crisis and will distribute food packages to the people living in these regions.

Medjasi underlined their cooperation with UNICEF for distribution of warm clothing and footwear for the displaced persons accommodated in their collective center.
SOZM, Mesecina, Drom, Daja, SAZM and OOZM will continue with their activities in the next week.

Ad.3.

Savka Todorovska from SOZM once more stressed that the students accommodated in the collective centers had still not received schoolbooks.

Dragi Zmijanac from Medjasi asked when the travel costs would be reimbursed to the students who travel from Skopje to Tetovo and asked if the requests for reimbursement should be submitted individually or collectively.

Dilbera Kamberovska from Daja pointed out several problems that refer to the IDPs in Kumanovo: UNICEF announced distribution of warm cloths for 110 children - IDPs accommodated in the collective centers, however, total of 154 children are registered in these centers; the students - IDPs have no schoolbooks; travel costs have not been reimbursed to the students who travel from Kumanovo to Skopje; for two weeks already, the IDPs are forced to pay for health services; the UNHCR promised to resolve the problem with wood for heating, but nothing has been done in that direction; once more an appeal was sent to the international organizations and donors to help to the 16-year-old Gabriela Ilievska (IDP from Lipkovo region), who needs medical treatment abroad.

Artemis Peric from OOZM stressed that there was a lack of blankets for the IDPs accommodated in the collective centers.

Bajram Sulejmani from Natura said that there was lack of food in the Lipkovo region, especially now, when 90% of the displaced persons have returned and the access to the region is still limited.

After the discussion, the following conclusions were adopted:

1. Trust rebuilding.
   Due to the fact that the situation in the country is slowly getting stable, this Coordination Body ought to start an action for returning of the trust among the people.
   
   
2. Free transport for students - IDPs.
   The authorized institutions should be asked to provide free transport for the students - IDPs who travel outside from the place where they are accommodated, as well as to those who use the city transport.
   
   
3. Warm clothing and footwear for the displaced persons.
   Warm clothing and footwear ought to be provided for the displaced persons and assistance from foreign donors should be asked in order this plan to be realized.
   
   
4. Schoolbooks and school sets for the students - IDPs.
   Due to the fact that many of the students - IDPs have still not received schoolbooks, UNICEF should submit explanation who is this the case and the entire procedure ought to proceed more swiftly. Schoolbooks are also needed for the highschool students - IDPs.
   
   

Previous Coordination Reports

• 12th Coordinative meeting [9 Oct 2001]
• 11th Coordinative meeting [1 Oct 2001]
• 10th Coordinative meeting [25 Sep 2001]
• 9th Coordinative meeting [18 Sep 2001]
• 8th Coordinative meeting [11 Sep 2001]
• 7th Coordinative meeting [4 Sep 2001]
• 6th Coordinative meeting [28 Aug 2001]
• 5th Coordinative meeting [21 Aug 2001]
• 4th Coordinative meeting [14 Aug 2001]
• 3rd Coordinative meeting [1 Aug 2001]
• 2nd Coordinative meeting [25 Jul 2001]
• 1st Coordinative meeting [18 Jul 2001]