NGO Humanitarian Coordination no.3

MINUTES

3rd Coordination meeting
1st of August 2001, Skopje


Present

Zorica Pavikevik, Dragi Zmijanac - First Children's Embassy in the World "Medzasi"; Dilbera Kamberovska - ROZM "Daja"; Svetlana Janeva - SOZM; Zija Abdiu - Klaseje na dobrinata; Memedali Rahmani, Selam Arifi - Mesecina; Abdulauf Prusi - El Hilal; Artemis Peric - OOZM; Igor Nikolovski - Milosrdie; Guner Nebiu - SAZM; Bajram Sulejmani - Natyra; Aleksandar Krzalovski, Emina Nuredinoska - MCIC.

Absent

DROM


Aleksandar Krzalovski, Programme Coordinator, was the presiding of the meeting.

Record person: Emina Nuredinoska

AGENDA

  • Record from the 2nd meeting of NGO humanitarian coordination.
  1. Reports for humanitarian activities

    a) Report from the 3rd meeting of NHC
    b) Reports from the organizations for last week's activities

  2. Joint humanitarian aid appeal to the international community

  3. Distribution of explosive gadgets and weapons warning publications

  4. Problems and issues to be considered and solved

Introduction to the record of the 2nd NGO humanitarian coordination meeting made Aleksandar Krzalovski, MCIC.

The record from the 2nd meeting was accepted.

Ad. 1.

a) Emina Nuredinoska, MCIC, made introduction. The record from the 2nd meeting was distributed to the organizations.

Abdurauf Prusi, El Hilal, said that the so-far activity of NHC had no results, which raises the question of further functioning of the NHC.

b) The organization' representatives submitted short written and oral reports for their last week's activities.

Displaced persons

Klasje na dobrinata registered a total of 11,200 displaced persons so far, out of which 9,800 in Skopje and 2,400 in Kumanovo.

According to the Regional Coordination in Gostivar, 960 persons or 218 families have been registered in Gostivar. Almost 90% of them are Romas.

Natyra's representative said the number of displaced persons in Kumanovo increases as a result of their return from Skopje and Kosovo.

Food

El Hilal, provided 62 tons of aid for the area of Lipkovo. In cooperation with MCIC, El Hilal provided 15 tons of mineral water for Aracinovo.

A convoy of 14 vehicles with food items by Natyra reached the Lipkovo crisis area.
MCIC distributed food and hygiene supplies for the newly arrived IDPs in Dojran.
Milosrdie provided aid of food, medicines and hygiene items for 700 families in Kumanovo and 1780 families in Skopje. 12 tons of aid has been distributed in Tetovo.

The aid provided by ROZM "Daja", SOZM, SAZM and OOZM is in smaller amounts and from their own resources.

Health

Klasje na dobrinata and SAZM provide free medical examinations for displaced persons.
Natyra still has not obtained permission to import medicines donated by partner from Austria.

Water supply and sanitation

The repair of the water supply system in the village of Otlja - Lipkovo area has been completed.

Shelters/hosting families

The number of persons settled in the Megasi's shelter increased to 15 persons, including the second newborn child since the establishment of the shelter. Megasi, in cooperation with Basic Rights and Democracy Committee will organize free summer tour in Ohrid for 47 displaced children from different ethnic composition from the collective centres, from 8 - 17th of August 2001.

Psychosocial aid

ROZM "Daja", SOZM, SAZM and OOZM continue their psychosocial support for women and children.

Coordination

SOZM established women coordination bodies in all collective centres in order to follow the needs of the displaced persons.

In SOZM's offices, a new information centre has been established. All information for IDPs can be obtained in the centre.

Ad. 2.

Aleksandar Krzalovski, MCIC, made introduction to Ad.2.

All participants have accepted the appeal. Only Mesecina requested to consult the Regional Coordination in Gostivar before accepting the appeal.

Conclusions from Ad.2.

The message "Support peace through humanitarian aid" has been approved

Mesecina should inform NGO Humanitarian Coordination whether accepts the appeal or not till August 03.

The conclusions have been accepted unanimously.

Ad. 3.

Aleksandar Krzalovski, MCIC, made introduction to Ad.3.

All participants showed interest in distributing the explosive gadgets and weapons warning publications.

Svetlana Janevska, SOZM, emphasized the experience from the Kosovo crisis and suggested organizing workshops on this issue.

Ad. 4.

Abdurauf Prusi, El Hilal, said that they regularly face problems while distributing aid in the crisis areas. According to him, problems occur at the police checkpoints, even when permission has been obtained from the Government Coordination Body.

Artemis Peric, OOZM, expressed the settling problem of a pregnant woman, currently settled at Ranka Milanovic Collective Centre. More adequate conditions are necessary for normal raise of the baby that should be born in August 2001.

Memedali Rahmani, Mesecina, informed that the situation with the displaced persons in Gostivar is alarming. They are settled mostly at socially endangered families and the aid provided by the Red Cross is minimal. IDPs are not treated equally, and thus the situation from the Kosovo crisis happens again. The displaced Romas are left on their own.
Bajram Sulejmani, Natyra, said that it is necessary to remove the dead animals and provide disinfectants.

Conclusions

  1. Initiating meeting with the Government's Coordination Body. Delegation of NGO Humanitarian Coordination should meet Coordination Body for Crisis Management representatives in order to discuss the following issues:

    - faster procedure for obtaining personal documents for IDPs
    - access to private properties for the harvest
    - provision of adequate settlement for displaced persons from Gostivar

  2. Composition of the humanitarian parcels of Intersos. It is necessary to contact Intersos representatives in order to discuss the composition of the humanitarian parcels that should be distributed in the next 6 months. The objective of this is to assure that the aid should be socio-culturally acceptable and adjustable to the IDPs needs.

  3. Unequal treatment of IDPs. IDPs are not treated equally. Especially displaced persons in Gostivar, ethnic Romas, live in extremely inadequate conditions. It is necessary to provide equal treatment of all IDPs wherever settled. The Regional Coordination Body in Gostivar will no longer participate NGO Humanitarian Coordination, unless NHC takes serious measures in solving the problem.

  4. Information support for IDPs. Besides the urgent aid centres, it is also necessary to provide information centres for IDPs as well (phone, e-mail, Internet etc.).
    These conclusions reaffirm or concretize the last meeting's conclusions (2, 4, 8 and 9), and part of them is included in the Appeal for humanitarian needs of Macedonia.
    The meeting started at 14 hours and finished 16:15 hours.