National Humanitarian Coordination no. 21

NATIONAL HUMANITARIAN CO-ORDINATION

21th Co-ordination Meeting
24th January 2002

Agenda

1.Overview/update by the Chair
2.Overview/update from the President’s Cabinet
3.Overview of the activities of the Macedonian Red Cross and ICRC/IFRC 4.Update by other UN Agencies & Donors
5.Update on UN activities (UNHCR)
6.Update on local NGOs’ activities (NGO humanitarian coordination)
7.Update on international NGOs’ activities (International NGO Council)
AOB

1.Overview/update by the Chairman
Mr. Cadinovski informed the meeting that CMC’s representatives, the deputy manager of the Centre, Stojan Lazev and Mayor Mitre Trajkov would brief the group on CMC activities.

The Chairman emphasized that in the past two weeks a progress in the firewood, food, and winter clothing distributions was noticed. IDPs in CCs complained that the regular medical visits have stopped and they are wondering why.

All agencies were asked to send regularly their weekly plans to the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, which will forwarded them to the Centre for Crisis Management.

2.Overview/update CMC
Police redeployment is ongoing as planned and in 10 villages there are preconditions for return. In collaboration with NATO, OSCE, and EUMM, confidence-building measures are also undertaken. With regards to the railway line, Radusa-Skopje, the security situation does not allow yet this line to be restarted.

Yet what is missing in the sense of overall co-ordination and identification of gaps, is information on distributions and agencies’ activities in the field. All present agencies were asked to submit info on a weekly basis.

3.Overview of the activities of the Macedonian Red Cross and ICRC/IFRC
ICRC informed the group that the first food distribution for affected people in Skopje region that did not meet IDP criteria had started. Food and hygiene parcels distribution for IDPs in CCs is ongoing. Still no information about the missing Macedonians and Albanians. ICRC will continue to work on this issue.

4.Update on UN activities (OCHA)
UNHCR informed the group that they are still preparing 2002 plans. The firewood and underwear distribution is ongoing. The delay in the distribution is due to the bad road conditions as well as to the problems with the firewood’s suppliers.

Currently assessment of the needs for restarting of the UNHCR bus lines in some of the conflict regions is ongoing. In the places where local transport companies are ready to reestablish the regular bus lines, UNHCR will not continue to provide bus shuttles.

An open issue remains the transport on the line Radusa-Skopje.

5.Update by other UN Agencies & Donors
ECHO reported that they are phasing down, though some of the humanitarian activities are still ongoing. Food distribution for IDPs in host families is ongoing (implementing partner InterSos) as well as the food distribution to conflict affected population (implementing partner-AAH). This month 1,700 persons from 40 villages of the conflict affected areas (Skopje, Tetovo, and Kumanovo) were covered. Monitoring of the distributed food and beneficiaries is ongoing in order to prevent overlapping and double distributions to persons already registered as IDPs.

The activities in the agriculture sector are also ongoing, in close coordination with FAO. The rehabilitation of the schools and ambulanti, committed by ECHO is almost completed. ECHO will continue to co-ordinate the preparation of the priority rehabilitation list of schools and ambulanta, with UNICEF, WHO and responsible Ministries.

WHO continues with its regular activities. In collaboration with IRC they are providing Primary Health Care services to the IDPs and returnees in Aracinovo and Kumanovo, as well as essential drugs in pharmacies in Skopje and Kumanovo. New focal point for humanitarian related issues in the Ministry of Health is Dr. Kiro Salvani.

UNICEF informed the group that the second phase of the school kits distribution has started. In total 92 schools in the conflict-affected regions and schools with great IDP influx will be covered. The Family Centre in Kumanovo was closed, due to luck of funds, while the centres in Skopje-Suto Orizari and Tetovo are still running. The SOS telephone line for psychosocial support is functioning well.

6.Update on local NGOs’ activities (NGO humanitarian coordination)
El Hilal reported that 13 trucks (12 with food and one with clothing) were distributed as humanitarian assistance. A truck with medical supplies planned for Tetovo, is expected to arrive from Ninberg. El Hilal emphasized that so far they haven’t had any problems with the CMC, but asked once again for the clarification on the reporting procedure.

The Chairman clarified that the weekly distribution plans should be submitted to the Ministry of Labour and Social policy, and then the ministry will forward them to the CMC.

OOZM informed the meeting that on the last local NGO co-ordination meeting the need for additional information on the humanitarian assistance is needed in order to avoid overlapping and parallel distributions. Also the possibility of a mandatory partnership between the local NGOs and international agencies was discussed.

The Crisis Centre Megasi has been asking for a new washing machine.

7.Update on international NGOs’ activities (International NGO Council)
International NGO Council said that in co-ordination with OCHA, a database on who is doing what will be developed. Last week The NGO Council had couple of meetings with different ministers, discussing the transitional phase from relief to development.

AOB
None.


Previous Coordination Reports

  • 20th Coordinative meeting [10 Jan 2001]
  • 19th Coordinative meeting [20 Dec 2001]
  • 18th Coordinative meeting [6 Dec 2001]
  • 17th Coordinative meeting [22 Nov 2001]
  • 16th Coordinative meeting [8 Nov 2001]
  • 15th Coordinative meeting [1 Nov 2001]
  • 14th Coordinative meeting [25 Oct 2001]
  • 13th Coordinative meeting [18 Oct 2001]
  • 11th Coordinative meeting [26 Sep 2001]
  • 10th Coordinative meeting [20 Sep 2001]
  • 9th Coordinative meeting [13 Sep 2001]
  • 8th Coordinative meeting [6 Sep 2001]
  • 7th Coordinative meeting [30 Aug 2001]
  • 5th Coordinative meeting [16 Aug 2001]
  • 4th Coordinative meeting [8 Aug 2001]
  • 3rd Coordinative meeting [26 Jul 2001]
  • 2nd Coordinative meeting [19 Jul 2001]
  • 1st Coordinative meeting [11 Jul 2001]
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