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MCIC
Situation report Macedonia no. 12/2001 |
August 20th - August 26th 2001
Skopje, August 27th 2001
HUMANITARIAN CONDITION
Displaced persons
The number of IDPs is increasing.
In Macedonia, according to the Macedonian Red Cross, the number
of internally displaced persons (IDP) amounts to 70,728 persons. Of them
3,857 are accommodated in the collective centers (addition 1).
Constant number of refugees in Kosovo.
According to information by UNHCR around 51,880 refugees (ethnic Albanians)
are situated in Kosovo, while 29,595 persons have returned to Macedonia
by now.
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
Food
Aid for the displaced persons.
A convoy for Vratnica, Jazince and Sipkovica.
On August 22nd, 4 domestic NGOs: El Hilal, Milosrdie,
Klasje na dobrinata and MCIC organized a convoy of seven trucks
with humanitarian aid for the denizens of Vratnica, Jazince and Sipkovica.
Four trucks were intended for Vratnica, one for Jazince and two for Sipkovica.
The aid comprised basic food, fresh vegetables, hygienic products and
cattle food.
MCIC supplied basic food to the kitchens of the collective centers
"1 Maj", "25 Maj" in Skopje and "Negorski Banji"
in Gevgelija. It also distributed 25 tons of flour for the IDP accommodated
in 400 families in Kumanovo.
El Hilal performs distribution of 610 packages with hygiene items,
provided by DRC (Danish Refugee Council), for IDP accommodated in host
families, 305 packages in Tetovo and 305 packages in Skopje.
The Skopje Red Cross opened storage where
displaced persons that have a record document from any community organization,
can take clothes supplied by numerous national humanitarian organizations.
SAZM (League of Albanian women in Macedonia) performs
distribution of humanitarian aid for 103 families from private donations
from Tetovo.
Health
The World Health Organization/WHO, has formed a mobile medical team for
Aracinovo.
Shelters
The Macedonian government and humanitarian agencies started an evaluation
of the damaged houses in Aracinovo on August 22nd. Joint teams for performing
fast evaluation have been formed in other regions as well, with the aim
of aiding the return of displaced persons.
Water supply and sanitation
In the village of Aracinovo, MCIC will install four tanks (each tank has
a volume of 20,000 liters) for technical water, but the same can be used
for drinking as well.
During the week, sites for placing of the reservoirs have been established
with the authorized persons from the community and the public enterprise
"Komunalna Higiena".
Schools and education
UNICEF has agreed to support schools in Kumanovo with textbooks, school
supplies and furniture once an official request is made.
Humanitarian demining
Ministry of internal affairs team is checking the objects in Aracinovo,
before the assessment of damaged is done. The process is going very slow
(10 houses per day), because there is only one equip team. The Government
requested for additional equipment or more antiterrorist teams.
Protection and human rights
In cooperation with the Red Cross and the Ministry of labor and social
politics, MCIC prepared and published a brochure with the title "Informational
and legal support for internally displaced persons". The circulation
is 15,000 copies (8,000 in Macedonian). The text of the brochure is written
in consultation with UNHCR and IOM.
Psychosocial activities
The Association for social-humanitarian initiatives "Horizonti",
will organize free courses for 38 children from the homes "Ranka
Milanovic", "25 Maj" and "1 Maj" from the areas
of English language courses, barber and hair styling and drivers license
training.
Post-crisis rehabilitation
On August 24th in Aracinovo, El Hilal started giving 420 mattresses from
UNHCR to the displaced persons that have returned to the village.
HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION
Financing
The Macedonian minister of finance, had a meeting with the World Bank
representative in the Republic of Macedonia on August 21st, during which
increasing the speed of the activities on behalf of World Bank was demanded
for making an urgent donor conference for the Republic of Macedonia.
The director of World Bank visited Macedonia on August 24th during which
he announced a help of 20 million dollars for Macedonia that could be
assigned at the donor conference in the middle of October but this depends
on the implementation of the political agreement.
Release of humanitarian organizations
from VAT
Directions from the Ministry of finance for utilizing of the export procedure
without passing the border line. International humanitarian organizations
with an acknowledged diplomatic status in procuring products from foreign
producers intended for humanitarian purposes are fully released from paying
the VAT tax. Also, international humanitarian organizations, in procuring
products from domestic producers pay the value added tax, and then realize
the right of return of VAT in a time of 30 days at most.
In order for domestic organizations that acquire products from domestic
producers to be released from VAT they have to apply the procedure of
export without crossing of border.
Coordination
Fifth meeting for coordination of humanitarian
NGOs.
On the August 21st meeting a discussion
was held for determining locations for performing mine protection training.
Domestic NGOs should submit information regarding the possible training
locations. Further consultations with UNICEF representatives should be
done in regard to the plan and activities connected to the training. Namely,
the training is organized by MCIC, while the lecturers will be experts
from the University of Wisconsin. Ohrid and Skopje have been mentioned
as possible locations.
DROM from Kumanovo participates in the regional coordination body, which
has been formed in cooperation with IRC, where besides the local non-government
organizations representatives from the monitoring missions of OSCE, UNHCR
and ICRC take part as well.
ICRC gave a presentation at the meeting. It was concluded that organizations,
members of the NGO humanitarian coordination, should make additional contacts
with ICRC, regarding al problems they are faced with and all possibility
for intervention in the span of jurisdiction by ICRC will be reviewed.
Two other conclusions were brought at this meeting as well:
- All relevant institutions and organizations
(government institutions, UN agencies, international and domestic non-government
organizations etc.) should take more concrete activities for returning
mutual trust and reconciliation between the people and
- Despite the description of the area of work
of the NGO humanitarian coordination, a concrete plan for the humanitarian
activities and the work of the body in general, needs to be devised.
3-5 members from the NGO humanitarian coordination that will devise
the plan need to be additionally determined.
Sixth meeting of NHC.
The participants on the meeting submitted a short report on the acitivities
from the previous week, the chairperson appeal to NGO's that they should
submmit their weekly plans for humanitarian convoys in time. The representative
of Ministry of transport and comunications explained the causes of slow
assessment of damages of objects in Aracinovo. Due to security reasons
the team for assessment is accompanied by antiterrorist team of Ministry
of internal affairs, because existing of only one team, it's not possible
to accompany all the time, so the assessment is going too slow. Also this
Ministry prepared the programme for repairment of damages of watter supply
system, which is not translated in English. The assessment is not included
in this programme, but only the momental situation of watter supply system
in inhabitant places. The OCHA representative underlined the danger from
unexploded mines. He remanded that UNICEF initiate for demining the crisis
regions and informed that they are expecting the arrival of UN mine expert,
who is going to do the assessment of mine areas.
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