NGO Humanitarian Coordination no.5

MINUTES

of the 5th meeting
held in Skopje on 21.08.2001

Participants

Artemis Peric - OOZM; Bajram Sulejmani - Natyra; Fatmir Islami - Mercy Crops; Abdurauf Prusi, Vegim Etemi - El hilal; Ahmet Jasarovski - DROM; Memedali Rahmani, Samet Skenderi, Dzeladin Dzeladini - Regional Co-ordinative Body Gostivar; Gjuner Nebiu - SAZM; Savka Todorovska, Divna Zmejkovska - SOZM; Dilbera Kamberovska - ROZM "Daja"; Fatmir Bitiqi, Emina Nuredinovska - MCIC.

Absent

Milosrdie, Megjasi (excused)

Memedali Rahmani, Mesecina, chaired the meeting.

Minutes person: Emina Nuredinovska


The participants determined the following

Agenda

Minutes of the 4th meeting of the NGO humanitarian co-ordination

  1. Determination of locations for training on protection from mines

  2. Emergency management training (introduction, interested NGOs)

  3. Report of the humanitarian activities
    a) Report of the 5th meeting of the NHC
    b) Reports of the organisations on activities carried-out in the previous week

  4. Presentation of ICRC (International Committee of Red Cross)

  5. Problems and issues to be discussed

Memedali Rahmani, Mesecina, submitted the introduction concerning the Minutes of the 4th meeting of the NGO Humanitarian Co-ordination.

The Minutes were unanimously accepted.


Ad. 1

Memedali Rahmani submitted the introduction.

Artemis Peric, OOZM, said that the training needed to be organised in the collective centres where the IDPs were accommodated.

Memedali Rahmani, Mesecina, informed the participants about the interest for the training and pointed out to the premises of SAZM in Gostivar and in the village of Negotino, Polog, as possible locations for the training.

Abdurauf Prusi, El hilal stressed that it cannot be discussed upon this issue until UNICEF's activities are made known. He pointed out to the destruction of most of the public buildings in the crises areas as a problem.

Conclusion

Written information need to be submitted on possible locations for the training at the next meeting.

Further consultations need to be made with UNICEF's representatives on their planned activities concerning the training.


Ad. 2

Fatmir Bitiki, MCIC submitted the introduction.

All participants expressed their interest for the training and announced participation of their representatives.

Ahmet Jasarovski, DROM stressed that, in order to assure the achievement of the objectives of the training, simultaneous translation from English into Macedonian needs to be provided.

The rest of the participants supported the opinion of the representative of DROM.

Conclusion

Possibilities for provision of simultaneous translation during the training need to be explored.
Ohrid and Skopje remain possible locations for the training.


Ad. 3

a) Abdurauf Prusi submitted the introduction. The Minutes of the 5th meeting of NHC had previously been given to the participants.

Savka Todorovska, SOZM noted that the representatives of the NGO Humanitarian Co-ordination needed to represent this body at the meetings of the NHC, not their own organisations. She also added that 'NGO Humanitarian Co-ordination' needed to be written by the name of the participants in the NHC, not their own organisation.

b) Participants in the meeting submitted short oral reports, as well as written ones on the activities carried out in the previous week.

Food / non-food items

El hilal distributed 48 t of food (Flour, macaroni, oil, vegetables, etc.) in Sipkovica on 13.08.2001.

MCIC provided aid in food and hygienic products (for one month) for three new open collective centres ( 2 in Skopje and 1 in Negorski banji)

Co-ordination

DROM participated in the regional co-ordination body established in co-operation with IRC and which also includes, besides local non-governmental organisations, representatives of OSCE, UNHCR and IRCC.

Information

An information (crises) body for the needs of the IDPs was established in Kumanovo, under the authority of the Mayor of Kumanovo.

Other activities

ROZM "Daja" organised an art colony "Peace - Happiness" at the main square in Kumanovo on 04.08.2001. A total of 600 children of all ethnic backgrounds participated in the colony. The whole event was recorded and a video clip and posters will be prepared.


Ad. 4

Louis Abbot of ICRC introduced the participants to the mission, objectives and activities of ICRC.

Participants stressed the identified problems of the IDPs, as well as the problems faced by the organisations during the relief activities.

Conclusion

The organisations - members of the NGO Humanitarian Co-ordination will establish additional contacts with representatives of ICRC on all the problems they face, and possibilities for intervention by IRCC will be explored.

Ad. 5

Ahmet Jasarovski of DROM said that the assistance received by MRC was not sufficient and that additional supply by other donors was needed. Also, the children from Lipkovo will not be able to continue their education (high school education) in Kumanovo, since there was no transport.

Bajram Sulejmani, Natyra, stressed that due to the lack of entrance licenses, the harvest in the Lipkovo area could not be carried out.

Abdurauf Prusi, El hilal, stressed the problem of lack of electricity in Aracinovo.

Artemis Peric, OOZM, asked why only Albanian population was returning to Aracinovo and asked for information on inter-ethnic relations in the village.

Gjuner Nebiu, SAZM said that the beginning of the school year was an additional problem, especially because of the lack of information of the relevant state organs on further education of internally displaced children. He also raised the question of provision of schoolbooks for the children.

After the discussion, the participants reached the following

Conclusion

  • Confidence re-building of IDPs.
    All relevant institutions and organisations (governmental institutions, UN agencies, international and domestic non-governmental organisations, etc.) need to undertake more concrete activities for confidence re-building of IDPs in the institutions of the system, and further more, in mutual trust and reconciliation.

  • Working plan of the NGO Humanitarian Co-ordination.
    Besides the terms of references of the NGO Humanitarian Co-ordination, this body needs to prepare a concrete action plan on humanitarian activities and on the work of this body in general. Additionally, 3-5 members of the NGO Humanitarian Co-ordination will be appointed responsible for preparing the plan.

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